Pokke's New Heroes
by Arctic Zero
Summary: Ever since the passing away of the great hero that hunted the feared Ukanlos, Pokke Village faded from the minds of people. One hunter takes the challenge of making Pokke well-known once more. This, is his story.
1. Chapter 1

A loud, lively group of hunters in the gathering hall in Pokke Village were drinking to their recent success. The four hunters successfully hunted a Rathalos that plagued a neighboring village, Kokoto. Since it has been a problem for quite some time, this was a big celebration, mainly because Pokke Village was once again recognized by the Hunters' Guild as an active hunting village. A great hunter used to reside in Pokke Village, but after he passed away, Pokke Village's hunters lost confidence, therefore they failed quest after quest until they have been marked "inactive" by the Guild. A young hunter by the name Azen sat at a table adjacent to the partying hunters. The heat that came out of the fireplace warmed him through his mafumofu coat, and the smell of steamed fish and Popo Soup filled Azen's senses. The shadows of the people in the gathering hall cast upon some walls and on the floor danced as they mimicked their owner's movements.

Azen stood up and leaned on a window sill, looking outside the window. The cool, mountain breeze blew at his face. The night sky was filled with stars, and the moon was full. The lunar light bathed the quiet village with it's grace, and one could see several lights from the houses. The snow patch on the building's roofs were pure, and it resembled the peace that was commonly found in Pokke Village.

**"Hey! Can you close that window? It's getting a bit chilly even with the fire."** said a hunter.

Azen snapped out of his trance and shut the window close, before turning to the others with a smile, **"Sorry! I got caught in the moment back there!"**

* * *

><p>Hours later, everyone was retiring to their homes. Others were already passed out on the tables, including Azen. Some cuddled their weapons, some cuddled each other. It wasn't until a man came bursting into the gathering hall, trying to catch his breath, that the quietness was disturbed.<p>

**"Please help us! A Giadrome and a gang of Giaprey have attacked my caravan! Please hurry, my family is in danger! My son is only an inexperienced hunter!"**

The Guild Branch leader heard the man and immediately shook each hunter awake. Her voice was not heard by some, and those who did wake up were too drunk to even run. She woke Azen up, but the moment she figured out who he was, she was afraid to send him. Azen was only a Rank 1 Hunter. He hasn't received enough training to go fight a monster on the level of a Giadrome. To top it off, the Branch Leader's maternal side couldn't let the fact go that he was only 17 years of age. However reluctant the Branch Leader was, Azen was the only one able to help out immediately. He was the only choice right now.

**"Azen... We have a request, and you're the one most capable of going immediately. Please get ready and talk to the man when you are."** she said.

With a quick jolt, as if electrified, Azen sprung up to his feet and grabbed his Bone Scythe. The dual blades were made by Azen himself from materials he collected in earlier quests, and he was excited to see what they were capable of. The Branch Leader smiled somewhat worriedly, as if she was sending her son off to go do something risky. Despite her experienced motherly nature, the Branch Leader was young.

A big grin was plastered to Azen's face as he looked at the man, **"C'mon, old man! Let's go help your family!"**

* * *

><p>Going downhill from Pokke Village, and finally into a wide clearing at the base of the Mountains, Azen and the man found the caravan. There were patches of bloody snow on the ground, but there was no one in sight. The Giadrome and the giaprey were still there, however, which meant that they haven't hunted their prey. Azen heard metal hitting scale coming from behind the caravan, and he saw a young man just like him, fending off the monsters. He had sustained injuries, and he barely had enough energy to stand. With quick feet, Azen ran to the young man's aid and lunged with his Bone Scythe. He flourished a few combinations of hacks, slashes, and stabs at the monsters. He was able to slay the Giaprey minions by his own, and now the only threat remaining was the Giadrome.<p>

**"Who... who are you?"** said the injured man.

**"I'm Azen, a hunter from Pokke! Your old man asked our village's guild for help, so here I am!"** replied Azen with alacrity, not taking his eyes off of the Giadrome.

The Giadrome was roaming around in a circle, and eventually, it jumped up high and aimed it's large claw at Azen as it landed. Azen did not expect the monster to jump that high due to its size, and the claw ripped through his mafumofu coat, which gave him a huge gash from his shoulder to his waist. The cut wasn't deep, however, it was long, and it stung. The momentum caused Azen to fall backwards. The foot of the Giadrome was on his chest, and it attempted to bite Azen. In response, Azen swung his dual blades at the leg of the Giadrome, but he did not cut the leg off cleanly as he expected. A few scales came off of the leg, and a slash wound was evident.. Azen kept swinging when suddenly the Giadrome jumped off and hissed. The injured hunter was able to slash at the Giadrome with his Iron Katana.

**"What's YOUR name?"** Azen asked as he stood up.

**"Derek..."** he said weakly.

**"Nice to meet you, Derek! I hope we become good-"** Azen was cut off when the Giadrome spit out a snowball that covered Azen's whole body. **"Aww, man! That was cheap!"**

Azen was restrained and he tried wriggling out of the snow. He was an easy target, and this was not a safe condition to be in. Luckily, the Giadrome had some sort of delay after spitting out the snowball, which bought Azen some time. Coming to Azen's aid was Derek as he kicked Azen's torso. The snow fell off Azen's body and freed him of his restrain. The two stood side by side as they raised their weapons ready to fight the incoming Giadrome.

* * *

><p>Dawn. The slain Giadrome lay on the snow. Azen and Derek's injuries were being treated by Derek's sisters.<p>

**"Thank you very much, young hunter! If it wasn't for you... my son would not be here right now!"** said Derek's father.

The smile on his face was good enough of a reward to Azen, and Azen grinned widely as well. Derek's sisters were young, but they knew how to treat injuries as well as any doctor. The sound of footsteps made Derek's sisters turn their heads, and they saw that a few more hunters from Pokke Village arrived. They were amused at the work done by two novice hunters, and commended them well for it. As Derek and his family carried on with their journey, Azen returned to Pokke Village. There was a celebration held for him as he got promoted to a Rank 2 Hunter for his great endurance and ability to fight on such a short notice.

* * *

><p>While Azen was watching the other hunters converse with each other in the Gathering Hall, the doors slammed open and a girl walked into the Gathering Hall, and looked high and proud. She was wearing the typical Hunters' Armor, only without the headgear. Her body armor was also modified so that her chest was well hidden, and part of her stomach was showing. Her hair was short; it only went down slightly past her jaw, and a few clips decorated her hair. Her piercing orange eyes gave off the feeling that this girl was not to be crossed.<p>

Who was this girl? What was her business here, in Pokke Village's Gathering Hall?


	2. Chapter 2

"I'll have a mug of ale." said the girl before sitting down next to Azen.

A puzzled look appeared on Azen's face, and he glanced at the other hunters around him. All attention was at the girl and on himself. It was apparent that the other hunters were wondering why she picked to sit beside him when there were a few other vacant seats available, an empty table even. It's already apparent that either Azen himself asks, or someone else has to step up. The girl grumbled as she shot each hunter a glare, and all of them returned to their own business, however keeping a low profile.

"So, kid. How old are you?" asked the girl as the waitress put her mug of ale on the table.

"I'm 17 years old. And don't call me kid, we look about the same age." replied Azen with a scowl.

The girl smirked and took a sip of her ale before turning her head to look at Azen. Once she made eye contact, her orange eyes pierced through Azen's eyes, and it interested Azen greatly. They stared at each other for a while until the girl flicked Azen's forehead with her index finger.

"What was that for?" Azen asked, rubbing his forehead.

"Oh, nothing. You were staring at me so intensely that I was afraid you got petrified." said the girl. She took out a map from her backpack and slid her slender fingers down the map, trying to look for the last mark that she etched into the map. Azen looked at the map and immediately saw Pokke Village. He pointed to it.

"You are here." Azen stated.

The girl put the map away, as if she didn't want Azen to see the other contents. She got up from her seat and walked out of the gathering hall, and into the village. It was nice and bright, with snow patches here and there. Shopkeepers telling people to buy their products, the smell of cooking meat coming from the houses. The girl smiled slightly as she walked with the villagers of Pokke village. She saw a Popo being led around by a man, and the clanging noise of the blacksmith filled the air. The villagers were having their usual chats, while the children chased each other around the great Machalite ore of Pokke.

"Hey!" Azen called out to the girl, "What's your name?" he said after walking to her side.

The girl cast a glance at Azen and walked back into the gathering hall. Azen was puzzled. There was no one like her in Pokke. If one asked a villager in Pokke for their name, they'd give it gladly. Azen, belatedly, concluded that the girl must be a foreigner or a traveler. At least, she's not from Pokke.

* * *

><p>For 16 days, the girl stayed. She was either always on a quest, or she's walking around Pokke Farm. Azen kept a watchful eye of her, wondering what could she be interested in the farm. She always gathered mushrooms and mined for ores, and occasionally sent a cat with a yellow helmet off. Azen couldn't figure out where she could possibly sleep. According to his knowledge, the girl has not made any friends with any of the villagers. Azen always asked the hunters in th Gathering hall if the girl sleeps there, but they always shake their heads.<p>

Azen sighed. The skies were getting darker. Perhaps it was going to rain. He went to the blacksmith to get his mafumofu coat repaired, then went to the Gathering Hall to wait the rain out. He greeted his fellow hunters as he sat down by his usual seat. Azen smiled as the Branch Leader served him a plate of Anteka steak. The Branch Leader ruffled Azen's hair.

The Branch Leader was young and motherly. She always had a brilliant smile, and was very protective of the hunters of Pokke's Gathering Hall. Her name was Kaori, she was 27 years of age, and Azen's sister. She worked for the Hunter's Guild as an intern and a shopkeeper when she was 18, then worked as one of the contract givers when she was 24. Only three years ago did she become the Branch Leader, but she was well accepted by the hunters. They loved her a lot.

"Thanks, sis." said Azen as he started eating.

Kaori looked up as the girl walks into the Gathering Hall. She was geared. She talked to one of the contract givers and immediately took off. Azen paid no attention to her as he ate. He always thought that when his sister makes him food, he better give his 110% into eating it, therefore he should be concentrated. It was the only way that Azen could think of to show extended gratitude to his sister, because despite being busy with paperwork and other things, Kaori still found the time to take care of Azen. After Azen was finished eating, and after Kaori has fixed his plate and utensils, she retrieved a box from one of the contract givers.

"Happy Birthday, Azen." Kaori said as she extended her arms and presented the box to Azen.

Azen took the box and opened it, and revealed the dual blades, Hidden Ones. Azen looked at Kaori with surprise.

"Sis! This is... this is great and I am really thankful, but isn't this really, really, really expensive?" queried Azen.

"Oh, that's okay. Anything for my baby." she said and giggled.

The other hunters started gathering around Azen and cheered him on. Azen was the youngest of hunters in Pokke Village. He was treated as a younger sibling by all of those who stay in the Gathering Halls. According to a Rank 7 Hunter, he gathered the materials for the Hidden Ones. And all the others say they pitched in to pay the blacksmith to create the said weapon. Azen thanked everyone and hugged his sister tightly, then carefully wore the Hidden Ones on his back.

* * *

><p>Near the summit of the Snowy Mountains, Azen was sitting down on a rock, picking off leaves from a mountain herb. His Mafumofu Coat was repaired and made even stronger since he had saved up the armor stones that the men who want to marry his sister gave to him. 'Why won't she tell me her name...' he thought of the girl and her constant rejection to disclose her name. It was starting to get dark, and he had to deliver 20 mountain herbs by sunset. He quickly got his backpack and started heading down, when he felt the ground rumbling. Azen feared an avalanche, and quickly started looking for shelter.<p>

By the left entrance to the summit, there was a small tunnel leading to a secret pathway to the summit where the shed skin of a Kushala Daora lay. He took shelter in the tunnel and stayed there. The rumbling only grew more intense, and eventually, he could hear a fight between monster and hunter outside. Azen really didn't want to get involved right now as the hunter probably can handle this on their own, but Azen was curious. He went to the secret tunnel and climbed a few walls to get to the Kushala Daora skin. He was surprised to see the girl, but even more surprised to see a Tigrex after the girl.

* * *

><p>The girl was trembling, not only from the cold, but from fear. Her exposed legs were shaking and wet from the melted snow. She struggled to keep her shield up. The Tigrex slammed its claw onto the ground and sent multiple blocks of ice hurling towards the girl. The girl fell backwards and shut her eyes tightly as she awaited the imminent doom. However, no impact was felt. She felt hot air by her mouth, something felt like cloth. She opened her eyes to see Azen on top of her, their faces merely inches apart. The expression on Azen's face was enough to tell what happened. Azen jumped down from the high cliff and rushed to protect the girl.<p>

"Wha... What are you doing? Do you want to die?" yelled the girl.

Azen pushed himself up and looked at the girl, "Good to see you're alright..." he said as he stood up.

The girl stood up after Azen and gulped. The Tigrex was already raging towards them. She ran the other way as fast as she could, hoping to take shelter in the icy caverns. She looked back. Azen was there, standing, looking at the Tigrex as if trying to stop it with his mind. Fear gripped him. He couldn't move his legs, or his arms. The girl watched as Azen was hit with the Tigrex's tail and was slammed hard against the mountainside. She was angry at herself for watching a young boy sacrifice himself for her safety. She started running towards the Tigrex, her Raven Blade raised and ready to attack.

The Tigrex swung its claw at the girl, and she blocked it with all her might. She skid back a few paces due to the momentum, and carefully approached the Tigrex with her shield raised. She was no longer afraid. If Azen could stand and face the Tigrex without fear, so could she. Also, she felt guilty as Azen was lying on the ground, snow gathering on top of him. He was moving, undoubtedly trying to stand.

"Raaaahhh!" The girl yelled before slashing at the Tigrex's tail. The tail was sliced clean off, and the Tigrex fell on its face. It was struggling to stand and balance itself.

The girl ran to Azen, but before she could reach him, he was already standing. Blood soaked his mafumofu coat, and also dripped from his chin. There was a small area of slush made from Azen's blood and the snow. In Azen's hands were his Hidden Ones. The determination in Azen's eyes were strong. The girl blushed slightly as she admired Azen's eyes to herself. She shook her head and pointed to the Tigrex.

"I don't know how you plan on beating that thing..." she said.

"Easy. We slice at it until it doesn't move!" Azen replied.

The girl's mouth was agape. How could a boy like him speak with such confidence? Certain death was imminent, yet he could still stand and fight? Azen glanced at the Tigrex. It was slowly starting to get back on it's feet. Blood flew out of Azen like a river, as the blades of his Hidden Ones were soaked with blood, and was dripping from it's tip. The girl could not imagine what kind of madness has occurred to the boy, but one thing completely took her breath away.

Azen_ smiled._


	3. Chapter 3

Blood and snow was everywhere. The wind was cold. Everything was dull. Azen was barely keeping himself on his feet, and the girl was beside him, assisting him to stay up.

"Are you sure... you still want to fight? The Tigrex will only be paralyzed for a few more minutes... We could use that time to get out of here." said the girl, the concern was evident in her face.

Azen nodded, then took a step forward. His Hidden Ones were on the verge of breaking, and Azen's skin was pale from the blood loss. The Tigrex lay shaking as it got caught in a shock trap that the girl set up while Azen was fighting the monster.

"I promised my sister... I'll be a great hunter someday... I can't let it end now..." Azen said weakly.

He approached the Tigrex and plunged his Hidden Ones to it's skull, but it just slid off of its scales. The puffs of white clouds that came from Azen's mouth slowly faded. His breathing was already about to stop. At the critical moment, he smiled as he fell to the ground beside the Tigrex. His eyes were closed, and it was hard to differentiate Azen from a corpse. The girl limped over to Azen to check up on him, using her Raven Sword as an aid to walk.

"Hey..." She shook Azen gently.

There was no response. Azen and the girl managed to chase the Tigrex down near the base of the mountain, the sea was right by them. The Tigrex started to move, and it immediately started to fly, seeking shelter. It was weak, and it needed to regain strength. As it started to rise however, it flicked its tail violently at the girl and Azen, sending them flying towards the water. Back on the shore, Azen's Hidden Ones remain stuck on the ground, with a pool of blood beneath them.

* * *

><p>Back at Pokke Village's gathering hall, Kaori awaited by the entrance for any newsof Azen's whereabouts. Three hunters came to her. One held something wrapped in cloth. Their eyes were downcast, and Kaori could only assume what the news was. She took a seat where Azen usually sat. He has been gone for nearly a week now. The hunter placed down the wrapped object on the table in front of Kaori.<p>

"I'm sorry... I truly am... We all liked him so much..." He managed to mutter between his sobs.

Kaori unwrapped the cloth and found the Hidden Ones that she gave to Azen for his birthday. They were cracked and caked with blood. Kaori took a deep sigh. She couldn't believe her brother was dead. Her eyes filled with tears, but she did not emit a sound. Her shoulders trembled, but she refused to cry. Even though the tears were rolling down her cheek, she refused to emit a sound. That was when the contract givers abandoned their post and went to Kaori and embraced her tightly. Only then did Kaori mourn.

* * *

><p><em>"What is this... So warm... it's like wind blowing into my mouth... I feel like... life is entering my body through my mouth..."<em> Azen thought as he slowly regained consciousness.

Something detached from his mouth, and his chest was being pushed deep and fast. After a moment, he felt something touch his mouth, and the wind blew again.

_"It feels so nice.._." Azen slowly opened his eyes and saw the girl's face.

She stopped activity for a short moment before pulling away from Azen. She grew bright red and slapped Azen across the face.

"Oww! What was that for?" Azen yelled as he got fully awoken.

"N...Nothing... Nothing at all..." the girl stammered and looked away, her blush only intensifying. She stormed off somewhere and left Azen alone.

Azen looked at her weirdly. He wondered what was wrong. He quickly shook the matter off and looked around. Sand replaced snow. There were palm trees and grass nearby. Azen ran his hand over his body. He was still untreated and it stung to no end as he touched an open wound. It started bleeding heavily once again, and Azen could see the layers of his skin and muscle. Not being tolerative of seeing his insides, he fell back onto the sand and passed out.

* * *

><p>It was cold out. The water was freezing. Unfortunately, it was also a high tide, so Azen was getting washed with cold water as the waves came up. The girl returned from getting firewood and saw Azen drenched. His skin was pale, and he shook terribly. The girl quickly placed the firewood in the shallow cave that she found nearby, and she pulled Azen into the cave. With a piece of flint stone and her carving knife, she started a small bonfire to keep them warm. However, Azen was still cold. It wasn't that he was far from the fire, it was because his clothes were also wet, which the girl forgot.<p>

_"There's no other choice... He might die if I don't do something quickly..." _she thought to herself. Again, she turned bright red, and began to undress Azen. As she took off his Mafumofu coat, she could see the wounds that he sustained in fighting the Tigrex. The girl took her backpack and started patching Azen up.

By the time she was finished, Azen's teeth clattered as he shivered heavily. The girl undressed him down to his underwear, and she undressed herself to her underwear as well. She adjusted Azen's position so that he would be close to the fire without the danger of getting himself burnt, and she took a deep breath. She lay down on top of Azen and pulled a blanket over the two of them. _"The least I could do is share my body heat with him..."_ she thought. The girl hesitantly leaned her head on Azen's chest, since there was nowhere else she could lean her head on comfortably.

The moon shone brightly. It gave a bluish tint to the sand. The stars sparkled in the night sky, and it seemed as if they were dancing around with each other. The sun rose, but Azen still has not awoken. For 3 months, Azen was unresponsive. The girl would go out in the morning to fish for food, then gather a few pelts of herbivore monsters to use for blankets, pillows, etc. She'd take a fish and pick out the fish bones, putting the fish meat on a small wooden bowl that she had in her backpack. She'd pinch a bite size amount from the bowl and put it into Azen's mouth. He'd chew when he tasted the fish, but he wouldn't do anything else after that. She would clean the bowl with sea water and sand.

She found a spring at the back of the cave they "lived" in after venturing around the cave, looking for a spot where she could store her items safely. The girl used that spring as their drinking water, and used sea water for anything else that needs water. She would raise Azen's head a little before putting the bowl of water to Azen's lips, and he would drink slowly and sloppily before going back to being unresponsive. The girl sighed.

"You know... I've been taking care of you for quite some time now... And you still don't know my name..." She said as she fixed her hair.

"My name is Mikan, okay? Mikan. Please wake up soon... I really want you to say my name..." she pleaded to Azen.

When nightfall arrived, she would start the fire, undress both herself and Azen to their underwear and lay down beside him. She grew comfortable sleeping beside him practically naked, but she was only comfortable since Azen had no idea of what she's doing. She felt that every night, Azen might awaken from his "slumber", and she risks the chance of Azen seeing her weak, emotional side. But none of it mattered now, because even if Azen didn't hear it, she was finally able to tell someone else her name.

* * *

><p>Kaori stood outside. It was sunny, with a few clouds here and there in the sky. She had Azen's funeral held on top of the hill behind their house, and asked that they buried his Hidden Ones along with the other things they put in the coffin. The tombstone was marked with Azen's name, date of birth, and date of death. She would bring mountain herbs to his grave everyday, since his last quest was to gather mountain herbs. The villagers have said that Kaori was more impacted by her brother's death more than what she shows. Deep down, it was as if she lost a son. If one would base their guess on Kaori and Azen's relationship just on their communication, one could mistake them as mother and son. Azen was the only family Kaori had left, and now that he's gone, she decided to marry a good hunter.<p>

"Oh, Azen... I'm sure where ever you are now, you're in a better place..." she said as a gentle breeze blew her hair to the side.

When would Azen return to normal? Would Mikan open up to Azen, just like how she did when he was weak? How would Kaori know that Azen is actually alive?


	4. Chapter 4

A gentle breeze swept across the coast. The palm trees swayed side to side, and they cast a gentle shadow on the sand below. A few coconuts have fallen to their base, waiting for whatever entity that will consume them. Mikan was dreaming. She was dreaming about her first visit to Pokke, where she met Azen. She would remember the nice sunny days, the snow patches on the roofs and the sides of the paths, the smoke from each home coming out of the chimney. She dreamed about the food she ate in the Gathering Hall, and she could feel her lips wet from the soup. She could feel the soft fish in her mouth.

...But something wasn't right. Mikan was slowly waking up, but her lips were still wet. There was still something in her mouth. Mikan decided to lightly tap against the object in her mouth, and she knew it wasn't fish. '_What could it be._..' Mikan thought to herself. She slowly opened her eyes to see Azen directly in front of her.

"...Mmn?" Mikan made a muffled noise. It took a while for her to realize that the object in her mouth was Azen's tongue. Her temperature skyrocketed and she quickly pushed Azen away. As if nothing happened, Azen smiled sheepishly, and Mikan slapped him across the face.

"Why did you stick your tongue in my mouth?" Mikan yelled out.

"Well, I woke up seeing you sleeping beside me with nothing but your underwear, so I thought there must have been something that happened between us while I was asleep... So I assumed you'd like it if I kissed you." Azen replied, rubbing his cheek.

"Hmph! Well, I'm going to take a bath. You better be ready when I come back!" Mikan said before stomping off out of the cave.

Azen sighed, then saw his Mafumofu set neatly folded at the back of the cave. Azen carefully put on his clothing, then ran his fingers over the torn cloth. He remembered the fight with the Tigrex. There was a huge gap, until one particular moment when Mikan said her name to Azen.

"Mikan, eh?" Azen said to himself. He grinned, and headed out of the cave.

* * *

><p>It wasn't long before the two started to approach a town past the forest that lay between the beach and the town. Along the way, Mikan hunted Velociprey and Velocidrome items so that Azen can get a weapon crafted at the closest smith shop they can find. Azen walked behind Mikan, as a red hand outline was visible on Azen's cheek. Mikan slapped him when he looked for her, and she happened to be drying herself from her bath.<p>

Mikan was literally dragging Azen by a leash as she tied a rope around his neck. As they walked into town looking for the smith shop, people would look at them weirdly. One reason was because of Mikan's custom armor, another is because of Azen's Mafumofu set, and lastly, how Azen is being treated like a dog. Mikan's orange eyes pierced through every onlooker, and it repelled any curious soul from stepping up and asking about their situation.

They arrived at the smith shop and the smith was immediately looked surprised. Mikan first thought that the smith was afraid of her orange eyes, but when she traced his gaze, she found out that the smith was surprised about Azen.

"Do you know him?" Mikan asked Azen.

Azen looked at the smith and shook his head. The smith managed to calm himself in a few moments, and he cleared his throat before speaking.

"It's not the boy. It's his set. That is the Mafumofu set, native to Pokke Village! I remember when I was a child that I hear stories about a hunter from Pokke. Man he was great... but only a few people know the name Pokke Village now..." said the smith, ending the sentence in a somber tone.

"What do you mean?" Azen questioned.

"Well, ever since your village's success rate in quests declined, people stopped relying on Pokke for big quests, and the big quests give fame to the village who's hunters successfully undertake the quest. So eventually, Pokke Village faded from the people's mind... and now a bunch of other villages are taking it's previous glory." replied the smith.

"Well, that's nice and all!" Mikan interrupted, "We're not here for stories. I came here to give this perverted dog a weapon. I'd like a Bone Katana done by this afternoon." she demanded.

"Mikan, I'm sure the smith has to take at least a day to make a weapon like that..." Azen said, trying to alleviate the situation.

"Don't worry, boy. With these materials your girlfriend gave me, I can make not a Bone Katana 'Wolf', but a Bone Katana 'Dragon'! I've saved materials from other hunters who brought excess materials, so I'll upgrade your weapon free of charge. Just come back in the afternoon."

* * *

><p>"Mikan... maybe you can summon oranges if you stared at something long enough... Those orange eyes of yours makes me wanna eat an orange..." Azen complained. It has been about 6 hours that they've been roaming around town, asking for directions and basic needs, such as the Gathering Hall, an inn, a trader who sells maps, etc.<p>

"Shut up! It's your fault you didn't eat my cooking back at the inn." Mikan exclaimed.

"Well... It's not my fault I prefer not to eat burnt food..." Azen whispered.

Mikan slapped the back of Azen's neck then crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"That's it. I'm not cooking for you again!"

"I didn't ask you to..."

Mikan turned bright red and puffed her cheeks as she glared at Azen. Her orange eyes really pierced through people's souls, but Azen was more hungry than intimidated at the moment. Out of nowhere, the ground shook.

"Earthquake?" Mikan asked.

"HWAAA!" Azen yelled and pointed to the road at the end of town. There was a massive dust cloud coming, and in front of it were a stampede of villagers, farmers and livestock running. As the dust cloud cleared up a bit, the face of a Yian Kut-ku was revealed.

"They're running away from the Kut-ku?" Mikan asked to herself.

"Nooo! The Kut-ku is running too!" Azen cried, as he was starting to see more.

There were three hunters hunting the Kut-ku, and it just so happened that the Kut-ku ran towards town as it nearly ran over the villagers. One of them was a Long Sword user, one was a Gunner, and the last one was a Lancer. It was a short hunt, as the Long Sword user slashed at the Kut-ku's tail, the gunner shot sleep rounds to it's face, knocking the monster unconscious.

* * *

><p>Later, the trio ran into Mikan and Azen when the Kut-ku was being taken away. The Long Sword user immediately approached Mikan and stared into her eyes.<p>

"Well, hello there. My name is Ian."

"Umm... Hello, Ian. I'm Mikan. Can you back away? You're invading my personal space." Mikan replied.

Ian smirked and then kissed Mikan, much to Azen's dismay. Mikan was paralyzed as she didn't expect a stranger to do such a thing to her, and Ian took advantage of the situation. He put his arm around Mikan's waist and pulled her to him, then Ian stared at Azen.

"Beat it, kid." Ian said.

Azen scowled, "You can't just take her away!"

"She's not resisting, is she?" Ian said and laughed, then walked away with his two henchmen.

Azen fumed and took it in. She wasn't resisting at all. Maybe she liked this stranger. How come? They've known each other for 40 seconds. It's impossible. Azen couldn't wrap his mind around the matter, and he stormed off towards the smith's shop.

"You know, wielding that with a broken heart may result in broken limbs, or severed body parts for that matter." The smith said as he watched Azen inspect the blade.

"Like I said, it doesn't matter. She obviously fell for the guy. I just can't believe that she could fall for someone in 40 seconds..." Azen stated before sheathing his Bone Katana 'Dragon'.

"Well, your fate is in your hands, boy." said the Smith.

Azen departed the shop shortly after the smith's last words to him, and he looked at the spot where Mikan was taken away by Ian. The road where the Kut-ku was captured was ahead of him, and he immediately started walking along it. He assumed Mikan would stay with Ian, so he didn't bother searching for her. He set his eyes down the road, and with the setting sun illuminating his path, he started walking. It wasn't for a while that Azen's concentration was broken because of a note flying into his face. The paper had Mikan's scent, and he started reading it.

"Kid,

I hope you're having a wonderful time alone. Mikan sure enjoys my company, so don't worry about her. She looks for you every now and then, but of course, I'm not letting my future wife escape from my grasp. But she's a really tough girl. She said that she'll force her way out. Well, now she's paralyzed, but she can only watch what is going on around her. If you want to rescue her, go to New Starfall. You have two days. We'll be waiting.

Signed,  
>Ian."<p>

Azen threw the note away and ruffled through his bag for a map. He looked for New Starfall on the map, and was shocked. New Starfall was three days away from the town he was just in. He wouldn't make it there in two days.

With fiery eyes, Azen took a piece of coal from his bag and drew a straight line. It was the shortcut he was going to take to New Starfall. It was definitely shorter than any route to it, so he knew he what he has to do now.

Little did Azen know, New Starfall is now infested with monsters. Ian and Mikan, along with Ian's henchmen, were on the cliff at the back of New Starfall, watching the town of monsters.

((Bad chapter is bad. I need to play more MHFU for ideas.))


	5. Chapter 5

Three signs of a terrible future. A broken sign that says, "Welcome to New Starfall," a sign nailed over the welcome sign that said, "Do not enter," and of course, the monster infested town. A typical hunter would steer clear from New Starfall, but Azen knew nothing of the place. He proceeded towards the town, and the noises of monsters echoed through the night.

"Ian. He's here." One of the henchmen said.

Ian gently tapped Mikan's cheek until she was awake, and the moonlight made her orange eyes glitter and glow. When she recollected what was happening, and what Ian's plans were, tears were on the verge of falling from her eyes. Ian's plan was to kill Azen, but since it was illegal for Hunters to kill another hunter with their weapons, Ian decided to indirectly kill Azen through the use of New Starfall.

Why did Ian want to kill Azen? Well, the only thing that holds Mikan back into completely getting hypnotized by Ian's charm is because of Azen. Eliminating Azen right in front of Mikan would severely impose a trauma on her, and she'll be easier to manipulate then.

"Ian... Please don't do this..." Mikan pleaded to Ian.

"Do what? He's already here." Ian motioned for Mikan to look below at New Starfall. Azen was at the far end, and he was walking closer towards them.

Seeing Azen walk into a death trap, Mikan held her tears back. If Azen was brave enough to go to New Starfall for her, she had to be brave and believe that Azen will come out of this alive. But then again, Mikan already knew that Azen was a mountain boy. He knew nothing of New Starfall. The growing guilt inside made Mikan desperate to call out Azen's name and tell him to run away, but for his own safety, she held her voice back.

* * *

><p>"What's with this ghost town..." Azen muttered as he walked the streets of New Starfall. The sounds of monsters echoed through the night, and he looked at all the abandoned houses.<p>

Something on top of the cliff at the end of town caught his eyes. Two orange balls. The outline of someone sitting down, and three people standing up. Azen knew it was them, but the moment he blinked, the outlines vanished. He couldn't see them anymore since the moon's light shined brightly. Already, monsters were rushing to him, competing against each other for the small scrap of meat.

* * *

><p>"Oh, what's this? Crying silently? Suffering deep down in that womanly heart of yours? Well, you better watch, because the show is about to end. I want you to savor the ending." Ian said with a smirk as he watched Azen suffer. Azen's cry of agony was like music to Ian's ears.<p>

Mikan could no longer hold it back. Her tears rolled down her cheeks, and formed a stream. She was being forced to watch Azen die. At the very least, she could be proud of Azen. He's never used a Long Sword before, but the fact that his blood made a trail behind him meant that he made progress towards the cliff. But why? Did he even know what he was fighting for? Mikan cried, trying not to blink as Azen was on the ground, pinned down by a Rajang, and the monster was trying to tear Azen's arm off.

* * *

><p>Azen screamed. He tried to wriggle out of the Rajang's grasp, but to no avail. He even cried out for his sister to save him, but nothing. Only pain and suffering came to Azen. His resistance triggered the Rajang to pull harder on his arm, and dislocated Azen's shoulder. With tears and blood on his face, Azen cried out loudly, then his eyes started to go blank. The pain was just too much.<p>

Ian laughed his heart out, and Mikan cried her heart out. However, all of a sudden, the moon became red. This was the traditonal bad omen that someone was going to go berserk. As sudden as it came, the red tint of the moon vanished, and Azen was up on his feet, killing off monster after monster. He would get slammed onto the side of a building by the larger monsters, but he'd get back up. Of course, he only killed the small fries. The bosses always, ALWAYS hit him hard.

* * *

><p>Azen lay on the ground. His eyes looked up at the sky, and he remembered Mikan's face. "Mikan... I really don't want to die yet..." Azen muttered. His Bone Katana 'Dragon' lay before him, the edge now jagged and chipped from hitting the scales of the monsters. A pack of Velociprey made their way to Azen's body, and he knew they were going to eat him. However, the angry large monsters were waging war on each other, trying to claim New Starfall as their territory. In the crossfire, the small monsters were killed. Azen looked at the moon, and yelled at the top of his lungs, "MIKAAAAAAN!"<p>

Mikan stared as Azen yelled out her name. She was paralyzed, seeing that a young boy like him would willingly sacrifice his life for her. He's already done it twice; Once with the Tigrex, and now. Mikan cried and yelled out Azen's name, but there was no response. However, she saw several shadows closing in on Azen's body. The moonlight wasn't enough to illuminate what the shadows were.

Is this the end? Would there be a future for Azen? What would Mikan do in this situation?


	6. Chapter 6

The scenery was red. Everything was red. He couldn't feel his body being jostled around by the claws of the monsters. He could feel his body being trampled by the monsters. All he could see, all he could_ feel_ was a pair of orange, crying eyes looking at him. A figure of someone familiar was running for his body. He could tell who it was, but he didn't get why she was crying. Mikan fended off the monsters with her Raven sword, but she also got hit by a few monsters' claws or teeth. It didn't take long for Mikan to completely destroy the small fries and go to Azen's side. She placed his head on her lap and caressed his cheek carefully.

"Hey... I'm here..." Mikan said in a whisper, trying to reassure Azen. Her tears dropped on his face.

"Yeah... I figured... I detected your scent..." Azen weakly replied.

She was guilty. She felt the same way that she did when they fought the Tigrex up on the Snowy Mountains. Why was it that this boy was so willing to throw his life away just for her? Mikan imagined to herself how Azen would be better off without meeting Mikan. But a sentence from the dying boy in her arms threw her questions away.

"Mikan... I love you..." Azen said.

Mikan sobbed a bit, then placed her hand on his cheek before giving him a kiss.

"I love you too, Azen..." She said in between sobs. Her sadness and guilt were over the top, and she couldn't control it. She saw Azen's body mangled by the monsters, so it was expected she'd feel this way.

* * *

><p>A laughing Ian came down and looked at the two with a grin on his face. He managed to come down safely since the big monsters started fighting and eventually defeating each other. A few moments later, Ian made the biggest mistake in his life. He kicked Azen off of Mikan's arms and pulled Mikan up harshly. His grin was full of malice as he licked Mikan's cheek.<p>

"Well then. Now that the brat is dead, we can go on and marry and have kids." Ian said.

Mikan's eyes widened as Azen's limp body made no effort to get back up like he's always done, and she slapped Ian across the face.

"How dare you! How dare you do this! He was just a boy who wanted to go home!" Mikan yelled at Ian.

Ian was obviously displeased by Mikan's slap, so he punched her stomach, and Mikan doubled over.

"Learn your place, woman." Ian said before ordering his two henchmen to grab Mikan and confine her in a makeshift cell that also served as Ian's carriage. Ian was off to travel to Pokke Village, since it was rumored they can use a fine hunter, and a rich man as well.

As for Azen, only Mikan bothered to look at his body as he lay on the ground.

* * *

><p>For seven days and eight nights, Mikan was imprisoned in Ian's carriage. He'd come by every morning and night to give her food and drink, but other than that, she stared at the road as they passed. Ian's carriage made several stops, and it was somewhat torture for Mikan every break she gets. She just wants it to be over. She keeps getting haunted by Azen's last words to her, as well as the image of his body on the ground on that fateful night.<p>

On the eight night did Mikan snap out of her trance. She was inside the carriage, where Ian keeps all of his food and items. If she somehow managed to sabotage his supplies, she may be able to escape. She remembered she still had some sleeping powder she intended to use to drug a piece of raw meat. She applied the sleeping powder on the main foods that Ian and his henchmen ate. Mikan sighed, she needed a way to get her weapons back. She looked at herself. It was going to be the awkwardest moment in her life, but she'd do anything to survive. Anything to live on. For Azen.

* * *

><p>Ian came along at night with Mikan's dinner. He quickly opened the "gate" and put her food in, but at that moment, he saw Mikan looking at him. Her clothes were positioned in a way that her skin would be exposed. She bit her lower lip and used her index finger to motion Ian to come to her. Ian, being completely charmed, walked into the carriage and forgot to close the gate. Mikan took notice of this, then continued on with her plan.<p>

"You wanted to have kids, right? Why don't we start now?" Mikan said as she grabbed a piece of meat. She offered it to Ian, and he took a bite out of it. He was hungry too. Mikan smiled.

Ian quickly felt the effect of the sleeping powder and he collapsed on top of Mikan.

"Oh my, we haven't even started and you're already tired?" Mikan teased. She quickly got out of her cage and retrieved her weapons, then readjusting her clothes to the usual way they were.

She looked at the path. The moonlight illuminated the place. It was familiar. This was the path she took to get to Pokke Village. If this was true, then she needed to tell Azen's sister of Azen's death. She had the right to know. She started making her way along the path. Unfortunately, one of Ian's henchmen saw her leaving. However, he was too lazy to get up and chase after her, so he just pretended like he didn't see anything.

* * *

><p>Kaoru was fixing the laundry. Her belly had grown slightly bigger. A sudden gust of wind met her and she neatly tucked her hair behind her ear. The air brought about an eerie omen. And as she peered into her room, the frame where Azen's picture was kept had a crack on the glass. She scowled. It was not a good sign. Not at all. But what did it mean? Signs like this usually noted that someone was going to die. Azen was already dead, though... So what could this sign mean? She went inside her house, and she saw that the crack was in the shape of a sword. Azen really, really liked swords. The signs were confusing Kaoru. They didn't make sense at all.<p>

She sighed and went to the Gathering Hall. Along the way, she saw the vendors and villagers saying "hello" or "good morning," and she would reply back with a smile. All the hunters always hung out at the Gathering Hall, because they had a discount on food and the heating was free. When she arrived, all the hunters greeted her in a nearly synchronized way, and the quest givers would give her reports about the hunters' expenses. Kaoru found out that there was a lack in the funding of the Gathering Hall. This meant that the rewards for completing quests would be lower if it came from the Village, and the income of the village would also go down, seeing that it is dependent on it's hunters.

Trade routes to Pokke Village were limited since it was located up in the mountains. Kaoru skimmed through the reports then was met by a crowd of children, all were offsprings of the veteran hunters of Pokke Village. They treated Kaoru as their second mother, and she was more than happy to oblige to her role. She'd smile then look up, towards the spot where Azen usually sat, and there would be an empty seat there. She'd be hit with an emotional spike, then she'd be unwilling to do any paperwork for the rest of the day. There was a new hunter in the village, and he claims to be Azen's friend. Kaoru has yet to investigate this issue, but she didn't really feel in the mood for doing anything.

Life was going great in Pokke Village, but now, the village faces bankruptcy. The village's fame was fading into oblivion because of inactivity. How long would it take for Mikan to reach Pokke Village? Is Azen truly dead? What would Ian do when he finds out that Mikan tricked him? Who was the new hunter in the village? What's his connection to Azen?


	7. Chapter 7

"Good morning." The new hunter said.

He sat with a few other hunters and had a conversation with them. This was routine for the new hunter everyday, and he was embraced by the new life he had in Pokke Village. He'd wake up, eat breakfast, go to the Gathering Hall, and basically stay there until he has won enough bets to pay for a contract and go out for a quest. He would come back from the quest tired, and the hunters would congratulate him and pat him on the back or even treat him to a meal or a drink. The new hunter would smile, and laugh, then happily spend the rest of his time with the other hunters.

This daily routine has put Kaoru in a constant emotional rollercoaster. The new hunter acted just like Azen, and the hunters were treating him like how Azen was when he just became a hunter. Sometimes, Kaoru saw Azen instead of the new hunter.

"Derek, you should relax today! You've been on quite a good hunting spree." One of the senior hunters said as he gave Derek a solid pat on the shoulder.

"Alright. Thanks, man." Derek replied.

* * *

><p>Derek encountered Azen when his family's caravan was under attack. Azen was the hunter from Pokke Village that responded to Derek's father's request, and Derek knew they'd meet again some day. When Derek's family got to a village on the other side of the mountain, Derek needed to find a Village where he would be able to live and work in peace. Luckily, Pokke Village never left his mind as a good place to live in. Therefore, Derek decided to decided to leave his family in the lowlands and travel up the mountain, to the village where his new friend lived in.<p>

When he arrived, however, he was surprised to find out that he has died fighting a Tigrex. Derek was saddened by the news, but he knew that Azen was in a better place now. He even admired how Azen, being the inexperience hunter that he was, didn't fear the Tigrex. Of course, that's just his speculation. For all he knows, Azen may have been trying to run away from the monster, and got killed because he was unlucky.

* * *

><p>Azen's death both struck sadness and awe into the villagers. To think that someone who was 17 years old would fight a Tigrex, when those who have been in the hunting business for 30 years wouldn't dare be in the same area with a Tigrex. To commemorate Azen, the villagers have constructed a small statue of him and used that to substitute for a tombstone at his grave. Derek would often visit it, and he would sometimes see Kaoru gently patting the statue. He felt bad for Azen's sister. She really missed her brother that one time she even brought food to his grave and washed the statue with water and soap. Derek noticed she was slowly dropping into depression.<p>

One night, Derek just got back from a pelt-gathering quest and he saw Kaoru sleeping by Azen's usual seat in the Gathering Hall. He took pity and placed his coat over her shoulders. She would move her hand in her sleep as if she was holding Azen's hand. Derek sometimes heard Kaoru mutter Azen's name in her sleep, and she'd tell him to take care, or be careful during quests. It was truly a sad thing to watch, but Derek could not do anything but watch. Derek thought that this was a terrible behavior and could be dangerous for a pregnant woman. Derek cared enough for Kaoru that he wanted to tell her to rest at home, but he was in no position to do so. Derek once again sighed. His father gave him a necklace of an Ioprey's fang. It was said that an Ioprey's fang would repel sickness from the wearer. He lost it at the middle of his 3-month journey up the mountain.

* * *

><p>Mikan was plodding along the path. It has been two weeks since she's escaped from Ian. She was surprised that she has not seen signs of him trying to catch up with her. Mikan's eyes showed that she has barely slept in the those two weeks. She drank what little water she found along the path, and she hunted for food at night. When it rained, she would gather rainwater in a bottle and drink it. At night, Mikan would dream about her last vision of Azen. His body on the ground, his face all caked and dirtied by blood and earth. His clothes bloodsoaked. The violent movements of his body as monsters mauled him as he lay. Then finally, she'd get angry about Ian kicking Azen's body out of her arms. After that, she'd wake up from her anger, and she'd continue her journey along the mountain. While she was walking, she found an Ioprey fang tied to a rope as if it were a necklace.<p>

"I wonder who's this is..." She whispered as she observed the necklace. Mikan held it in her fist and took a deep breath before continuing up the mountain.

* * *

><p>"Boss, I'm telling you, she went towards Pokke Village."<p>

"I swear, if we end up going the wrong way, you're going to pay dearly." Ian said to his henchman.

The three deviated from their path looking for Mikan. It's been two weeks, and they started to get bored. Ian decided he and his men would continue towards Pokke Village, since their only lead to Mikan is the village.

"How long until we get there?" Ian asked.

"About three months, boss."

"Well, let's get a move on, then."

* * *

><p>A breeze blew by. The children laughed as they chased each other at the village center. With a small sigh, Kaoru went out of her house and quietly stared at the great, snowy mountains. It was a really nice day out, and it was going to be a big day. This day is the day the great hunter defeated the Ukanlos, and the village made a festival to commemorate the now deceased hunter. Kaoru smiled a bit, then saw Derek amongst the children, playing with them in what seems to be a game of tag. She would lean by her doorframe while she watched, but she was not the only one. Even the parents of the children have grown to like Derek's brotherly attitude towards the village's children, and they would often shower him with freebies, such as a free drink, a free meal, a free night at their house, so on and so forth. Only Kaoru has not offered anything to Derek.<p>

She sighed, then called out to Derek. Within moments, he would jog to her.

"What is it, boss?" He would ask.

"How would you like to stay over at my house tonight?" She said, offering him yet another freebie.

"Sure! I got my things at the Gathering Hall. I'll bring them with me after supper, okay?" He said to Kaoru.

She smiled and replied, "Of course."

"You're starting to make me think you're my older sister." Derek said to her as he jogged back to the children and played with them again.

His sentence gave Kaoru yet another emotional spike. Derek could very well be said to be the reincarnation of Azen, or Azen's soul resides in Derek's body. They were so similar that Kaoru saw Azen physically, and not Derek.

((Short chapter is short. There's most likely a 5-day to one week delay on the release of the next chapter.))


	8. Chapter 8

A lot of time has passed. The village, the flow of time, and people. Those were the only things going on for villagers of Pokke. There was a snowstorm not too long ago, but it definitely looked a bit "clean" as there weren't as much patches of snow around. It has been over three months since Kaoru first invited Derek to her house, and it seemed like nothing could get better but Azen's revival. Today was different, though. There were four people heading up the mountain and into the village. Three men and a girl. A very, VERY familiar girl. A girl with orange eyes. The villagers would watch as the foreigners wander towards the Gathering Hall, wondering who could they be, and what their business here was. Come to think of it, however, the villagers always think that way towards new people.

"Welcome to Pokke's Gathering Hall! How may I help you?" Kaoru said to the newcomers.

"Ah, we'll just rest here for a while." Ian responded as he, his henchmen, and Mikan went to a table. Azen's table, to be exact.

It may be unknown to the other hunters, but the females in the Gathering Hall could see the signs of abuse just by Mikan's expression. However, to not appear rude to their new visitors, they kept quiet about it. Kaoru couldn't manage but feel tears in her eyes after noticing the orange eyes of Mikan. They were the same bright, orange eyes that Azen peered into before he left for the last time. However, it was a bittersweet feeling for Kaoru. Azen and Mikan vanished at the same time, and if Mikan was alive, there was a chance that Azen was alive too.

Seeing that Mikan's appearance caused disturbance among the hunters and all the people in the Gathering Hall, Ian stood up and went to Kaoru. He smiled at her charmingly then asked in a modest voice, "Is there a place where we can lodge in for a while? I plan on staying here once I get enough to build a house."

"Oh, you can stay here in the Gathering Halls. It may look small, but there is a whole other section underground. It contains a few rooms for visitors who want to stay here but don't have a residence." Kaoru replied, trying to return the smile.

"I see. If you don't mind, would you allow us there? The girl and I will share a room, the other two don't really sleep." Ian said.

Kaoru nodded and quickly made arrangements for Ian's permit into the bedchambers. Meanwhile, Ian's two grunts went out into their caravan to get the supplies, and they moved into the room.

* * *

><p>Ian shoved Mikan onto the bed. The place was illuminated by a few lamps at the walls. This was a few hours after they have moved in their supplies into the room. Since they had nothing better to do, Ian decided he could have a little quiet time as he allowed Mikan to peacefully sleep on the bed instead of on the ground. His abusive ways were getting somewhat lighter. Maybe he was starting to really feel something for Mikan?<p>

* * *

><p>A loud metal clash echoed through a small arena in a village halfway up Pokke Mountain. A boy and an elder man were fighting each other, to sharpen their skills in hunting monsters. The boy was wielding a Bone Slasher, while the older man was wielding a mere Iron Katana. It was surprising how the katana did not break by the force being excerted by the boy and his Bone Slasher. It was also surprising that the boy was more proficient with the Great Sword than most men who have been wielding a Great Sword for over 5 years. His swings were quick and powerful, but they lack form. He could chain his slashes with little to no problem, as if the weight of the Great Sword was equal to a Long Sword.<p>

"Ya know, boy? You can take out a large monster with one deft strike of that big thing you're swinging around. I can barely even feel my hands right now because of the vibrations from my sword! And that's only after three strikes!" The older man said.

"Well, what can I say? I really don't know where my strength comes from, but I have it, and I'll be the greatest hunter in the world!" exclaimed the boy in response.

The older man laughed a bit and stabbed his Iron Katana onto the ground and walked to the boy. The boy mounted his Bone Slasher onto his back and looked at the older man. They exchanged some sort of secret handshake and a laugh, but the older man had something rather important to say.

"I'll make you a new sword. A better one, okay? It'll be my final gift to you before I pass on." He said.

Although the boy knew that the old man could barely even breathe in his workshop, he nodded, "Yeah."

"You'll be the greatest hunter with it. And also, get famous, get rich, all these great things."

"Mhm."

"You'll be the hunter that so many want to be, yet few have ever become."

"Uhuh."

"Anyway, get going and get dressed! You have quite a journey tomorrow."

And with that, the boy walked off into the old man's house. It was getting dark out, and there seems to be a snowstorm brewing up. He went to his room and pulled out his regular clothes. He placed his Bone Slasher down and propped it up against the wall, then started dressing up. His attire? A Mafumofu Set.

* * *

><p>As the snowstorm raged, Ian peered out of his window. Mikan was asleep under the blankets while he was dressed up in his armor, and held out some sort of horn out the window. Ian's plan was to stimulate the monsters and make the lives of the other hunters miserable. The monsters would either be angrier, bigger, better (or worse, in the hunter's case), or all at the same time. Ian blew the horn as loud as he could, and it echoed through out the mountains. However, what Ian did not know was that he has stirred monsters not only in the mountains, but also in the lowlands. Soon, the monsters would go on a rampage, and Man will have to wage war against Monster in order to survive.<p>

((I just whipped this up in 10 minutes after I realized it has nearly been 2 weeks since my last chapter release. This one's a short, dry one too, but it's something to read and hopefully you'll have some questions waiting to be answered in the next chapter. Again, sorry for the terrible quality of the recent chapters. Summer Vacation is totally destroying my storyline planning.))


	9. Chapter 9

It was a long, tiring period of time. For nearly 3 years, monsters have frenzied around in the wilderness, and even spreading their chaos into towns and cities. Young hunters are now being permitted to go on the front defenses to help out as much as they can, but numerous villages have already fallen to monsters. It isn't just large packs of genprey or any small wyvern. They came in large flocks of Kut-kus, massive groups of Rathalos and Rathians, and there have been rumors of three Lao-Shan Lungs roaming amock. There has been one report where the three Lao-Shan Lungs seem to have grown sentient, being able to speak and give out orders to other smaller, weaker, monsters. There were also rumors that several hunters have grown quite famous for saving towns from monster attacks. Such hunters come from Kokoto Village, where the hunters have not let down the great Hero of Kokoto. Life has changed in the world. They announced the arrival of a wave of monsters like they tell if there is a storm coming.

A hunter starts walking through a town called Ravenguard. The town was named after a handful of hunters who always fended off a Yian Garuga that attack periodically. Several townspeople would look at the hunter and notice that he is quite a high-ranked one. In these times, only high-ranked hunters or military officers were allowed to wear a set of armor without the helmet. He proceeded to continue walking through town until he found a small hotel of sorts. The girl behind the counter took a set of keys and guided the hunter to his room.

"Here it is." said the young girl, who the hunter estimated to be 11 or 12 years old.

"Thank you." replied the hunter, and he put down his Bone Katana Dragon down and propped it up against a wall. As the girl turned to leave, the hunter stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder. The girl turned around, "I have something to give you. Hold on." the hunter added.

The girl stood there, confused for a moment. What could a stranger possibly give her? Her question was answered when the hunter turned around, holding up his gift to her.

"Here. It's a good luck charm, of sorts." The hunter said, before taking the little girl's hand and putting the bracelet around her wrist.

"T-Thank you... sir..." the girl said, a blush settling in her cheeks.

"It's not sir. I'm Azen. Nice to meet you." he replied with a smile.

Just as the girl started to say something, her mother calls for her and she smiles at Azen before running off.

Azen sighed. He couldn't believe that children as young as that little girl we're being given hunting weapons and being sent to fight monsters that attack towns and villages. But what could he do? He was just a lone hunter. Having nothing else to do, the hunter walked over to a window and peered out. A long way ahead, there was a mountain range. Azen knew by heart that the farthest of them all was Pokke Mountain.

Just then, heavy banging on the entrance of the hotel echoed through to Azen's room. There were military officials at the door, and they asked for any able persons to join in the defensive force that will fight off an incoming monster wave. The mother was hesitant and volunteered herself, however the officials insisted that she stay and tend to her husband's wounds, as her husband fought in the previous wave and was crippled. Thus, they picked the little girl. They gave her half an hour to prepare.

* * *

><p>The girl sighed. She wore her coat and her sword. They were all just simple things, probably something a 2-star hunter would use. But they looked well-maintained. Azen knocked on her door just as she was wearing her helmet. The girl looked startled, then smiled at the hunter.<p>

"I can tell you don't want to go." Azen said.

"Yeah... I'm afraid to go out there... Ever since my father came home injured, I never wanted to go hunting again..." said the girl.

"Well, I can't blame you. It is pretty traumatizing to see your father in that state." Azen replied, then pondered.

The girl finished the last of her preparations when Azen put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll go with you!" Azen said with alacrity.

The girl perked up and smiled widely at Azen. She took his hand and tugged on it as she ran out of the house, going over to the front defensive line.

line break

"I'm sorry, sir. We don't have you on our records. We can't let you fight." The officer said after seeing Azen with the little girl.

"Alright. Will it be okay if I kept an eye for her, though?" Azen said, pointing to the girl.

"Oh, sure. But when the monsters come, you'll need to back away from the defensive line."

"Sounds good. Thank you, officer." Azen said with a smile before giving the traditional hunter salute. Azen turned his gaze to the little girl, who was standing by, waiting for the incoming monsters. She turned her head to look at Azen and waved to him. He smiled and waved back to her.

He couldn't help but notice the naivety of the girl. She's treating this as if it was just a game. He feared for what she'll see soon.

* * *

><p>Three Rathalos were running forward towards the town. All of them seemingly fighting each other to see who gets to the town first and destroy it. The defensive line braced themselves for impact as the put out the sharpened stakes and spears at the front, hoping they could hampen the Rathalos' charge. With the spears proving to be an obstacle for the three Rathalos, the defensive line started throwing everything they had at the three monsters. The blademasters went up front in a valiant charge, while the gunners fired their weapons with great speed. Azen was quite impressed at the defensive force, and wondered how much better the defensive forces in cities or larger towns were.<p>

Two Rathalos were brought down by midnight, yet the last one proved to be strong-willed and unforgiving. It whipped it's tail from side to side, knocking back the hunters around it. The little girl seemed like she could hold herself in battle, but the Rathalos's tail sweep injured both her knees and she was knocked down. She started to cry as the pain registered in her brain, and Azen took it as his cue to step in.

"No! You are not permitted to fight!" The officer from earlier yelled as he tries to stand up and recover from the Rathalos's recent attack.

"Don't worry officer, you won't even know I'm here." Azen said with a big grin, then unsheathed his Bone Katana Dragon.

"Idiot! Do you think that weapon will even take a scale off of that thing?" yelled a hunter.

The girl looked at Azen's eyes to see if he was trying anything funny, but she was surprised to see what she did. His eyes. They weren't the typical dark-brown-on-the-verge-of-black eyes. They were yellow. They gave off this eerie feeling that the girl closed her eyes. Azen ran at the Rathalos, his weapon held high, and swung down on the Rathalos's mouth. As his blade made contact with the Rathalos's scales, the Rathalos reared back and roared in pain as Azen's sword made a clean cut through it's mouth. The Rathalos made effort to swing it's claw at Azen. He blocked the claw with his sword, yet the force made him fly a few feet before rolling to a stop.

Azen pushed himself up and ran to the Rathalos yet again. He jumped up and swung his long sword at the skull of the Rathalos. The Rathalos roared and tossed it's head backwards, throwing Azen up. At the same time the Rathalos fell, Azen fell on the ground and let out a yell of pain. He most likely broke his elbow through that bad landing. The defensive force gathered around Azen and the Rathalos, and they cheered after the Rathalos didn't move for a while. The town suddenly awoke, with each household turning on their lights and peering out the windows, looking at what was causing the cheering.

"How did you do all of that damage with just that sword?" asked a hunter.

Azen looked at his Bone Katana Dragon, "Why, it's G-Level, of course! A kind wanderer gave me this in exchange for my regular Bone Katana Dragon. He said he was a retired hunter, so he didn't need a G-Level weapon anymore."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Azen packed his belongings and was already about to exit the hotel when the little girl ran and stopped him.<p>

"Leaving already?" asked the girl.

"Yeah. I'm trying to make it back home, and I still have a really long way to go." replied Azen.

"But the town likes you here... You're our hero! If you haven't stopped that Rathalos, it would have ransacked the village!" exclaimed the girl.

"Yes... but I really want to go home. Besides, it is extremely rare that you'll have to deal with 3 Rathalos at the same time again. You're strong enough to handle the defense. The town doesn't need me, sweetie." Azen said as he crouched to get on eye level with the girl.

"But..."

"It's alright. Believe in yourself. I know you can grow into a fine lady and be a great hunter."

"Where's your home?" the girl asked.

"Pokke Village."

"Where's that?"

Azen carried the girl and put her on his shoulder so she could see the mountain range in the distance. "See that really, really, really small mountain over there?"

"Yup."

"That's the mountain where Pokke Village is." Azen stated, then put the girl back down on her feet.

"You can't leave! I... I..." the girl paused, then looked up at Azen with pleading eyes, "I love you! I want you to stay here with me!"

Azen laughed as politely as he could as to not offend the girl, then kissed her forehead and patted her head, "Come back when you're older." he said, then started walking. The girl saw him off before returning inside the hotel.

The path was long but straight, and the heat made the inside of Azen's velociprey armor rise very quickly.

"My, oh my... It's unusually hot today..." Azen said to himself. The trees were starting to look really brown. Autumn was nearing.

As he continued on walking, a few hunters emerged from the bushes with weapons pointed at Azen. "Halt!" they yelled.

Azen was then restrained and made to drop to his knees while his arms were held by two other men. A woman appeared from the shadows and walked towards Azen.

"So I heard you're from Pokke Village?" said the woman. Her voice carried a deep chill that oppressed Azen.

"Yes... Why?" Azen asked.

"I ask the questions here." She snapped, then sighed and put her hands on her hips, "You're under arrest for being affiliated with Ian the Summoner."

"Ian the Summoner?"

"Yes. He's the one who caused all these ruckus with the monsters attacking everywhere, and he's residing in Pokke Village. Everyone in Pokke Village is now considered to be an accomplice."

"Wait, you're making a mistake! No one from the village would do such a thing!"

"Yeah, words from a villager of Pokke. You're coming with us." The lady said. Another hunter whacks Azen at the back of his head with a wooden sword and knocked him out.

What will happen now? Is there hope for Pokke Village to be saved from this false accusation? What will happen to Azen?


	10. Chapter 10

Cold. Wet. These were the first two adjectives that came into Azen's mind as he slowly regained consciousness. As he opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed were the legs of people. Then the second was rain. He was being dragged by the arms to what he could determine as a cave. He could see torchlight coming in from inside, and he bowed his head as they kept dragging him. He could here some people commenting on his clothing, or his weapon. Some even made a comment on how he was from Pokke Village. Once the crowd heard about his origins from Pokke Village, the whole cave became silent and their stares turned into glares. He went from being the new person, to the enemy of the state, just because he came from Pokke Village.

Azen was thrown into a dark room. As the doors were closed from behind him, he would blink his eyes rapidly. Because he was more intent on determining where he was, he did not notice the occasional tremor that shook the room. It was as if there were a chain of small earthquakes happening. Of course, any hunter would know this isn't just a normal earthquake. It was steady, and continuous. It was a monster. It was sure to be heavy. It was sure to be large. But these suspicions won't be confirmed unless Azen saw the monster itself. But how would he do that? He's in this room with a table and two chairs facing the opposite sides in it.

The same lady that arrested him earlier entered the dark room. She looked stressed, there were dark rings around her eyes symbolizing lack of sleep, but her voice still pierced through Azen as she spoke.

"You're a hunter, right?"

"Yeah. From Pokke Village." Azen replied. He was surprised. Did she forget about him?

"Right." The lady said. She took a seat on one of the chairs by the table. Azen did the same.

Azen didn't know what to do as the lady just held her head and took a deep sigh. The tremors were getting stronger, but not only that. Azen noticed that the lady was a bit battered. He could notice traces of bruises on her arms, and the broken state of her armor on the left hip really told him something about this tremor. It was a monster for sure, but now Azen was not sure what it was.

"Lao-Shan Lung." The lady suddenly said, as if reading Azen's mind. "It's heading towards the capital city. There's no stopping it now."

"What? What do you mean there's no stopping it now?" Azen replied.

"The other hunter outposts have either been destroyed by the great beast, or have been overrun with other monsters. This hunter outpost was the last line of defense for the capital and all other cities within the known territory... It seems we'll have to depend on the King's army..." The lady said with a disheartened tone.

Azen slammed his fist on the table, "We can't depend on the army to save the capital or any other city! Do you see their weapons? They're meant to kill men, not monsters! Those cheap little iron sticks of theirs will break at the contact of a monster's scale!"

"Then what do you suggest we do, Boy? If it wasn't for your damned Ian summoning this beast to the heart of the kingdom, we wouldn't be having this problem!"

"I know my village, and I know the villagers. None of them would dare or even KNOW how to tame a Lao-Shun Lung! The villagers cower in their homes at the news of a Giadrome prowling the mountains!" Azen stated, defending Pokke Village and it's inhabitants.

"Well, there's no doubt that this Lao-Shun Lung came from the base of Pokke Mountain, and there's no other village or a scrap of human life near Pokke Mountain but Pokke Village. Besides, Ian the Summoner has clearly made it clear in his previous messages that all monsters are coming from him, and he's residing in Pokke Village." She said, standing from her seat. She would glare at Azen for a few moments, but then she'd put her hands on the table and lean forward a bit. She would wince slightly, then grit her teeth.

"All hope is lost... There's only a handful of my men who can fight... There's no way we can stop this monster..." The lady said.

Azen stood up and grabbed the lady's shoulders, and she looked at him with surprised eyes. Her blue eyes were pierced by Azen's yellow eyes. "Give me my hunting weapon back. I will fight."

"And what difference would YOU make?" The lady said, suddenly feeling and looking vulnerable by the way Azen held her shoulders.

"A lot. In lieu of those who can't fight to clear our village's name, I will fight."

The lady stared at Azen. A young man like him? Make a lot of difference? She couldn't fathom the idea of such a thing, but she didn't have any choice. The more men, the better.

"F-Fine..." She said, then pushed Azen away. She motioned with her hand for Azen to follow her, and they did so.

Once they exited the dark room, the daylight pierced Azen's eyes, and he cringed a little bit. He had no time to recover naturally as he felt an object being thrusted into his chest. He held it, and he immediately recognized it. The sheathe of his Bone Katana. He started wearing his weapon when he felt a tug at his chestplate. He saw the feminine fingers, then he felt a warm, wet feeling on his lips. He quickly imagined Mikan, but his eyes showed a different girl. It was the lady.

"My name's Vaela. You just received a good-luck kiss... since you're sure to die. Okay, see you, goodbye." She turned and hurriedly walked off.

Azen touched his lips, then wondered what is it with girls liking him...

* * *

><p>A tough fight has been fought, and is still being fought. The hunters were already tired, and they could barely raise their weapons. Azen stood out of the hunters for having excellent stamina despite having fought on the rough side of the battle. The Lao-Shun Lung kept walking, even if they swing their blades, hammers and lances at it's legs. Not even the sleeping rounds worked on the monster. Azen kept swinging his Bone Katana at the Lung's belly, as it is rumored that a dragon's weak point is it's belly. His blade would slide off and leave a shallow slice, and not enough to damage the dragon.<p>

The Lao-Shun Lung detected the hunters trying to do damage below it. It would stand on it's hind legs and emit a loud roar, incapacitating most of the hunters. Azen fell on his back side and stabbed his weapon upwards to the belly of the Lao-Shan Lung as it came back down to it's front legs, and the whole blade penetrated through it's skin. The Lao-Shan Lung would roar in pain, but it would drag on. Since Azen's blade was stuck in the Lao-Shan Lung, Azen was dragged along the ground as the Lao-Shan Lung moved forward. He was in a deadlock, as if he let go, he would be smashed into the ground by the Lao-Shan Lung's paws. If he kept holding on, he would get dragged to death.

The other hunters wanted to leave Azen for dead for the sole reason that he's from Pokke Village, and that there was really nothing they could do to save him. They started limping back to their hunter outpost.

Azen was aware of the deadlock he was in. He digged around in his pocket for a small bomb. He used his Bone Katana as a wedge to make the Lung's stab wound larger, and he thrusted the bomb into the wound. He lighted the fuse and covered his face with his arm. The explosion blew Azen and his sword out of the danger zone of the Lao-Shan Lung. He struggled to get up, and he used his Bone Katana to help him stand up. He watched as the Lao-Shan Lung would continue walking, and he had not the energy to chase it, and he collapsed to the ground.

What will happen, now that Azen has failed to stop the Lao-Shan Lung?


	11. Chapter 11

The Capital City. It was built in the early ages to symbolize the first alliance between different tribes to combat monsters who lurk in the vicinity. It was the center of trade, arts, entertainment, and even migration. It's vast variety of people quickly made it the most popular city in the known territory. Many battles were fought there, many times its walls were destroyed, and many times it has been rebuilt. But not anymore. The Lao-Shan Lung that the defense force failed to stop has decimated the whole city, literally taking it down to the ground. The army was forced to retreat and scatter after taking heavy casualties. The citizens followed the tail of the army, clinging to their only hope of protection.

A few weeks after the fall of the Capital City, the Army marched into Pokke Village and razed the village, burning the houses down, and rounding up all the villagers. The Elder Council refused the army's wish to eradicate the Village along with everyone who lived in it, for fear of corruption by Ian. Instead, any and all villagers from Pokke Village were exiled to the Unknown Territory. To their dismay, they did not find any trace of Ian or any of his loyal accomplices. The villagers continue on with their exile, fending for themselves in the Unknown Territory.

* * *

><p>"Let me go!" Mikan yelled as she tried to pull her arm away from Ian's grasp.<p>

They have been travelling towards the Elder Council even before the Capital City was destroyed. Right now, Ian and his two subjects, along with Mikan, were in the forests right outside of the Elder Council's tower. It was still a day or two's hike away, but they were close.

"No. You're coming with me, and you're staying with me because I'm your husband!" Ian slaps Mikan harshly.

Mikan retailiates by punching Ian straight in the jaw, which staggered the man. His two fledglings quickly restrained Mikan as Ian recovered.

"I always knew you were feisty."

"Shut up! I don't want to be with you, or have anything to do with you, now let me go!" Mikan struggled to break free.

"Take her into the carriage. We'll deal with her later." Ian ordered.

Mikan was thrown harshly into the carriage, as Ian ordered, and was locked there. She sighed and looked at her hands. Tears of anguish and hatred rolled down Mikan's cheek as she saw the wedding ring. Ian threatened to kill Kaoru if Mikan didn't marry him, and she unwillingly accepted. Even though she has been married, been made love to, and even abused by Ian, Mikan's mind always lingers on the last time she saw Azen. His blank eyes and bloodied appearance were seared into her mind. The last bits of warmth she felt from his body remained on her skin. His smile remained in her heart.

She never really openly admitted it to Azen, or rather, she did admit it to Azen already. But he was too injured to even properly comprehend what she said to him. Her confession of love to him marked a turning point in Mikan's life. Never had she been so soft, so caring, so worried, about anyone else before. She's grown used to living alone, being snobbish, and somewhat arrogant. She refused to show her gentle side to anyone, because she strived to be viewed as on par with the other hunters. Her slender body often times gave off the wrong idea that she was weak. She sighed. The leather of the Nargacuga Set that she was wearing felt rather slimy, and the fishnets made her feel cold whenever night time comes.

Mikan's orange eyes glistened with tears. She still felt responsible for Azen's death, and never before had she been so sad about one person. She's seen plenty of people die during quests, but Azen's death struck her heart in particular. Perhaps it was because she had feelings for him, and that in itself explains a lot.

"If only... If only I was strong enough... to help him..." Mikan whispered to herself.

She lay down in the carriage and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

><p>"What business does a traitor have in these hallowed grounds?" asked the Chief Elder.<p>

"I come to let you hear my demands!" Ian said.

"Well, considering this could be your last request, let's hear it." replied the Chief Elder.

"I want power. I want to rule the Known Territory. All of it will be under by leash, and you shall be my tool!"

"Sadly, you don't have enough-"

"Authority? Power? Worry not old man." Ian snapped, and a whole pack of velociprey came jumping into the tower. The Velocidrome killed the Honor Guards in an instant, since they were not prepared for this.

The Elders sat there, shocked at what has just unfolded in front of them.

"So. What say you to giving me, my friends and my wife a city to live in, as well as complete rule over it, hm?"

* * *

><p>"Wake up." Vaela said, pouring water on Azen's face.<p>

Azen awoke with a jolt, but then sighed quickly after seeing that there was no real danger. There was, however a large group of armed people. "What's going on...?" asked Azen as he sat up.

"You're in exile. We'll have to get you to the Unknown Territory, or we'll have to kill you. It's your choice."

"W-What? What did I do? I only helped with the defense, I didn't do anything wrong!" protested Azen.

"It's not because of what you did. It's because of one of your villagers. He controlled a Lao-Shan Lung and ordered it to attack the Capital City. If you don't remember, it's the one that you failed to stop." stated Vaela. "The Elder Council has placed Pokke Villagers into exile. All of them, and that includes you." she added.

"Well... where am I supposed to go...? Where exactly in the Unknown Territory?" Azen asked, now standing up.

"We don't know. There's a reason it's called 'Unknown Territory', you know."

"I see..." Azen stared at the ground.

"Well, get going! The Unknown Territory is that way." Vaela pointed to a mountain in the distance. A rather large forest separated Azen from the mountain. "I'm ordering my men to attack if you don't leave this instant."

Azen scowled. There was absolutely no justice in exiling all of the Pokke Villagers for one man's act. He stood there and glared at Vaela in defiance.

"Very well." Vaela snapped, and arrows quickly flew towards Azen. Four arrows stuck out from his chest, and two more at his leg. "Are you going to leave now?"

Azen hesitated, then limped away towards the forest. His armor didn't hold up at all against the arrows. Perhaps bowguns were the one that shot the arrows.

It took a long while for Azen to finally reach the Unknown Forest. He left small blood trails, and he quickly dropped to his knees when he reached a stream in the forest. The ambient sounds of monsters in the area can be heard, and it was somewhat soothing. It gave off the feeling of being in the wilderness without the controlled environment. The lush green grass and the occasional swaying of the tree's soothed Azen. He sighed, then blacked out.

* * *

><p>"Hey princess, come look at this." A short, red-haired girl who had jade-colored eyes and a smile that resembled a Felyne peered down on the slumped over body of Azen. "Looks like he was in one hell of a fight."<p>

"Don't touch it, Misaka." said a tall, elegant woman with smooth long, onyx hair tied up in a ponytail. Her eyes resembled the midnight sky, and there was an air of authority around her.

"Aww... but come on, this is the first time we've seen someone using Genprey scales mixed with some metal for armor... And look at this sword... It's really really long, and if I'm not mistaken, the sheathe's covered in velociprey hide!" exclaimed Misaka, making quick observations on Azen's gear.

Azen slowly opened his eyes from the noise Misaka was making, and he looked at her.

"Ah! Look, he's awake!" Misaka said to the elegant woman.

The tall, slender woman crouches in front of Azen and asks him, "Who are you, and where are you from?"

Azen furrowed his brows weakly. The girls were talking in a language he did not understand. He didn't know what the slender woman just said, or what the lively one was saying. It was all foreign to him. He made a grunt and tried to stand, but the slender woman puts her foot on him and he falls back down.

"That's what you get for ignoring the princess's questions~." commented Misaka. However, she quickly noticed the remains of arrows embedded into Azen's chest and leg, then looked up to the princess. "Princess, please lift your foot from him. There seems to be something on his chest..."

The Princess did as Misaka asked, then rolled Azen over with her foot. Both of them had a slight gasp when they saw what had happened to him. "It's somewhat surprising to see he's not dead yet." said the Princess.

Misaka scooped some water from the stream and poured it towards Azen's mouth. He coughed at the sudden intake of water and started to panic, thinking that he was drowning, but Misaka held his head and pets him like a lost animal. Azen calmed down. "Aha! Can we keep him, Princess?"

"As long as you're the one to take him back." replied the Princess as she starts walking. Misaka grabs Azen by the collar and drags him as she follows the princess.

* * *

><p>The princess and Misaka returned to their village, hidden deep in the forest. The girls were on a long range patrol around their village when they spotted Azen. It was a woman-ruled village, with the men being the minor population. The villagers seem to be using everything from the forest to survive, from the wood on the trees to the sap it gives. When the Princess gave the word to have the medical house prepare to treat Azen's wounds, the village was in a buzz. Some went off to help the medical house and call the medical women, and some would question Misaka and the Princess as to how they stumbled upon this strange man.<p>

When the preparations were done, Azen was brought to the medical house. There, he was treated for his wounds, both new and old, and the treatment lasted a few hours. Afterwards, it was revealed to the Princess and Misaka -who visited Azen when they were informed that he was done being treated- that Azen was too weak to even stand by himself. He was to be nursed back to health, but until then, he must remain in the medical house. The Princess was a bit upset, because she wanted to know where Azen came from, if there was more of his people coming, or if he was here because he was a criminal.

One day, when Azen was staring blankly at the ceiling, he would hear the sounds of monsters being slain. After that, Misaka would come cheerily with the hide of some monster. She would talk to him in the language foreign to Azen but she would look happy. Sometimes she looks like she would brag, then she'd pretend she was wearing the hide, and she'd display it to him. It already seemed like a tradition between them, but every time she was about to leave, she would stroke his hair like he was her pet.

There are those rare occasions where the Princess visits Azen. However, after his third week, she started coming with what seemed to be books. She would sit there and read silently to herself, occasionally looking at Azen. Azen concluded in his mind that she was probably keeping watch, just so he wouldn't do anything funny. However, she did nurse him when he needed. She would get a hot towel if he was having a fever, but there were things Azen didn't really remember. Azen always took note of how the Princess - however not knowing of the Princess's role - had a cold look in her eyes. To be honest, he would feel threatened, but his mind is put to ease when she returns to her reading.

But then, the Princess decided to sit on Azen's bed and helped him sit up. She would read a book to him while pointing to the words. She made him repeat some of the words, and over time, Azen formulated simple sentences by himself. However, after that, the Princess would only drop by to give him a letter filled with sentences that increased in difficulty to Azen. Little did he know, he was being educated to speak their language so that they can interrogate him.

Azen's dreams consisted of Mikan, Pokke Village, and snow. He longed to go home, yet every time he tried, he would end up somewhere further away. He would dream about the gentle breeze that circulates in Pokke Village, or of the white pure snow. But what always appeared in his dreams was Mikan. Her orange eyes delighted him, and he longed to see them again in person.

* * *

><p>Azen awoke from a vivid dream. The sun was high in the sky, and the trees rustled and swayed with the wind. He looked around. The medical house was empty. Azen sat up, and swung his legs around the bed. Surprisingly, his armor was repaired, and was placed neatly on the bed next to his. He was wearing his everyday clothing, and he slowly walked outside, and he was greeted with a punch to the arm.<p>

"Good to see you can walk by yourself now, pet! I always admire men who strive to be strong like the women!" Misaka said.

Azen scowled a bit, then spoke. To his surprise, it was as if Misaka's language was his native tongue. "I am not 'pet'. I am Azen."

"Ah, nice pronounciation! No accent whatsoever."

"Thank you."

"So, want to have a little walk with me?"

"Where?"

"Around." Misaka said, then grabbed Azen's wrist and started walking.

At first, Azen thought they were just walking in circles, but it became obvious that it was intentional, so that he could get a glimpse of the village and have a good idea of the layout. However, Azen and Misaka stopped on top of a hill. It had a nice view of the Unknown Forest, and on the hill was a rather large open arena. It was actually just a plot of land enclosed with wooden fences, and the audiences stood outside and around it. It seemed like there was a battle going on.

"Come, come!" Misaka insisted, as she pushed the people to the side in front of her and dragged Azen to the fence to get a good view. The Princess was having a spar with another woman from the village.

The spar ended quickly with the Princess taking the win, and the audience dispersed as they returned to their work. The Princess wiped the sweat off of her forehead, and Misaka jumped over the fence to meet her.

"That was spectacular, as always, Princess!" Misaka said.

"Thank you. ...What's he doing here?" The Princess said, looking at Azen.

"Oh, I decided to take him for a walk!"

"Hmm..." The Princess pointed to Azen, "You there! Come here."

Azen perked up exactly as how Misaka viewed him as, a pet, then went into the arena.

"Good. Tell me, why do you wear tools and armor made out of monster material?" asked the Princess.

"I am a hunter." Azen replied promptly.

"A what?" the Princess asked with a confused face.

"A hunter."

"...I see. Alright then, show me what you can do." The Princess nodded to Misaka, who brought two wooden long swords. The Princess took one, and Azen took one. "You may attack when you're ready."

Azen nodded, then held the long sword. His hands were shaking, and his arms felt weak. Ignoring his current disadvantage, Azen swung his long sword at the Princess, which she blocks with no difficulty. She kicks his leg so that he would fall to a knee, then held his chin provocatively. "Too slow. Work on recovering from your strikes so that you can strike again without delay." Afterwards, she let her index finger slide off of his chin as she retracted her hand, and resumed her position.

Azen struck one more time, the Princess parries, but Azen spun in such a manner that he managed to get a second strike in. However, the Princess was still able to deflect it. "Better. I think I can make a good warrior out of you." she said with delight.

* * *

><p>Everyday onwards, Azen spent most of his day training with the Princess and Misaka, both of them alternating days or even at the same day. His muscles would be sore and he would be bruised, but he was always rewarded by Misaka with an extra serving of food and drink.<p>

"Why do you treat me like pet?"

"Why do you treat me like A pet. You missed a syllable." Misaka corrected Azen.

"Well, answer my question, please."

"I don't know. You just look really weak! Besides, every time I tell you to do something, or if I reward you, you act like a little dog. And the Princess said I can keep you, so you're my pet."

"That's rather odd, don't you think?" Azen retorted.

"A little bit. But who knows, you could have been a pet in your previous life."

The two would laugh by a bonfire, and slowly, Misaka introduced Azen to the culture of the village.

Misaka would sometimes punch him playfully hard, and they'd have a round of punching each other, but Azen always misses or gets blocked, and he gets beaten in the end. When it was time to retire to bed, Azen would pretend he was asleep, but when no one seems to be awake, he sneaks out into the arena and practices the lessons he had been taught.

* * *

><p>Mikan awoke slowly. Her vision was a bit blurry, and but she quickly recognized the lavish decorations. She sat up suddenly, and saw that she was in some royal bedchamber. It was like in the stories, where there were a lot of fancy things around. She scowled, then walked to a window. She noticed that she was high up in a castle, presumably Ian's. There were monsters flying about, like a Rathalos or a Kut-Ku. Mikan took a look around, and saw that there was almost no one in the area. She snuck out of her room, and looked from corridor to corridor. She wore a shroud to conceal her identity, and she walked down the Servant's Corridors to avoid detection from the guards.<p>

"Mikan, are you awake?" Ian said, as he walked into Mikan's room. He was shocked that she wasn't there, and that her sheets were ruffled. He cursed silently, knowing that she was trying to escape once more. He felt Mikan's bed and noticed it was still fairly warm. She couldn't have gone too far. Ian marched through the corridors, alerting the guards to search for Mikan while he searched for her as well.

The distinct sound of boots marching alerted Mikan. She frowned. The guards are looking for her. She was walking towards the end of the corridor when suddenly four guards appeared. She hastily retreated to the upper floor. However, the guards kept pursuit. They searched all floors for Mikan, and Mikan was forced to retreat one floor each time. When she reached the top floor of the castle, she sighed and quietly cried. If the guards caught her, she would be forced to be with Ian once again, and that was something she no longer could bear. However, time wasn't on Mikan's side. The guards were approaching the top floor, and there was no where else to go.

Mikan opened a window. The sheer height was enough to scare her, but the guards were getting close. She had made up her mind. Instead of spending her life with Ian, she will just end it here, and join Azen in the afterlife. Before the guards could come, she jumped out.

Never before had Mikan felt so relaxed. She was falling, and it felt entirely different from resting after a hard quest. She sighed. She was happy she met Azen. She was happy that she jumped. Her tears rose from her cheeks as she fell, but then she felt the sudden stop, as if something caught her.

She looked behind her to see a Kut-Ku's claw holding her, and she sobbed quietly. The monster carefully started landing on the courtyard.

Ian was there, and he ran to Mikan as the Kut-Ku released her. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Mikan didn't respond, and Ian was worried that she was injured. He had the doctor check up on Mikan.

* * *

><p>An hour later, the doctor knocked on Ian's office.<p>

"Come in." Ian said.

The doctor opened the door and bowed to Ian, then said with a rather flat voice, "Good news, or bad news, my lord?"

"Let's start with the bad news."

"Your wife is depressed. She wouldn't talk to anyone. I would recommend that you spend more time with her until she recovers. Fortunately, the good news has already done that for you."

"What do you mean? The good news cheered her out of her depression?"

"Yes. She was rather delighted when she found out, and she seemed even more beautiful than ever before, might I add."

Ian stood up. This was definitely something big if it was able to change Mikan's attitude in an instant. "Tell me, doctor, what is the good news?"

The doctor put a hand on Ian's shoulder and smiled faintly. "You're going to be a father soon, my lord."


	12. Chapter 12

It was a beautiful night, filled with stars, the chirps of the crickets, and the scent of nocturnal flowers. It was a chilly night, and the Princess's breath was visible as small puffs of mist every time she exhaled. Her clothing was enough to keep her warm, considering she wore a Popo Coat before going out. The thick hide of the animal insulated enough warmth to last the whole night.

As she moved through her village, she would admire the sleeping faces of her people all cuddled up by a fire, a Popo coat of their own wrapped around them and a loved one, or maybe three. Despite it being somewhat close to winter, there were still fireflies around the area. Perhaps it wasn't too cold for them to migrate. Their beautiful lights were enough to make the Princess want to sit down and watch them all night, but she wasn't outside because of that.

As the Princess walked up the hill which lead to the arena, she would hear thuds and grunts, and wood hitting against wood in a crisp snap. Someone was in there. She hurried along the path to see who it was who bothered getting up in the middle of a chilly night to practice in the arena. The bright moonlight illuminated the hilltop, and there, the figure of a young man wielding a wooden Long Sword practicing on a wooden dummy, whom she could only presume as Azen.

She was going to approach the arena when Azen made sudden moves and she heard two loud snaps as he moved. She wasn't really paying attention, but Azen just struck the dummy twice in what seemed to be a graceful sword combo. The Princess quickly hid behind a nearby tree and peeked her head out to watch Azen. The two consecutive snaps as his long sword struck the dummy rang through the Princess's ears. She smiled warmly. It had been two weeks since their first spar in the very arena that Azen was in, and he's already found a way to strike the enemy twice with little to no delay. To top it off, it was extremely basic. Azen came up with an advanced process through the fundamental steps of attacking with the long sword, all in two weeks' time. The Princess would be lying if she said she was not impressed at all.

* * *

><p>The moon gave ample light to Azen as he was training, and his sweat gave a slight glimmer every time he swung his weapon. The moonlight was enough to show Azen's facial expression to the Princess as he struck the dummy. She found her mouth agape, completely shocked as to what she's seeing. He swung his weapon true and hard, the sounds of the wooden practice items confirmed that, but never had she seen anyone strike with such force and form while crying. Azen would perform a few sword dances that the Princess and Misaka taught him with perfect form and a truculent force behind each strike, as if his battle prowess was water crashing down on the rocks at the bottom of a waterfall. However, his tears were the same. The Princess felt sadness, loneliness, and nostalgia just from Azen's performance.<p>

Every time Azen took a break, the Princess took note of how he would sit down on the ground and stare at the moon, then he would sing a song softly in a language foreign to the Princess. At that instant, the Princess felt rather flushed. She had forgotten how Azen had come from another place. He mingled with the people and followed their ways, even spoke their language perfectly that you would mistake him as a native to these lands. Obviously, it didn't look like things will change any time soon. Azen's heart was a wandering heart, wandering near and far, high and low, just to get home.

The Princess has had more than enough proof that Azen was a trustworthy man, and adept learner, and a proficient fighter. She emerged from behind the tree she hid from, and approached the Arena. Azen was oblivious to this, but the Princess continued to walk through, and eventually she sat down next to Azen. She quickly noticed that he was abnormally warm. It was as if she just approached a rather lively ember. When she reached out to check if he had a fever, Azen quickly blinked and looked at the Princess.

"Oh. I didn't know you were there," Azen said, a slight tone of fatigue in his voice.

"Don't worry, I won't be here for long."

"No, no. I was just surprised."

"I see. Well, I still won't be here for long."

"Err... I just... want to kinda..."

"Spit it out."

"I want you to stay for a bit," Azen said, rather hesitant as he spoke.

"I see," the Princess replied. She stared up into the moon with Azen. There was a long pause, until the Princess spoke again. "I see that you've been practicing hard," she said.

"Yup. I have always been practicing every night, but please don't tell Misaka that. She gets really angry when I don't get enough sleep."

"Your secret's safe with me," replied the Princess, smiling faintly. She wanted to ask why he was crying as he practiced, but it may be a bit intrusive.

"I want to know your name, Princess," Azen requested. "I wish to call you something other than 'Princess'."

The Princess gave Azen a cold stare, as if to reject him, but her frown turned into a warm, welcoming smile. "Sayako."

Azen would repeat her name and then smile. Afterwards, he would tell her stories about his adventures and how he got his armor. Then it would veer off into the events at New Starfall and how he fought multiple monsters in the monster-infested town, then to the battle with the Tigrex, and his stories of living in Pokke Village. As he would explain to her to beauty of the mountain village, he would smile and pretend he was a plant, who's leaves would waft as the breeze blew past them. Azen told Sayako the stories of when snow accumulates at his door that he has to get out of the house through a window and shovel away the snow at the door to open it. All these things that Azen took for granted, he told them to Sayako. She felt as if Azen had warmed up to her, despite showing him a cold and rather strict demeanor most of the time.

Sayako would stare up in the sky once more when Azen had finished telling stories, and soon she felt something land on her lap. She looked down to find Azen's head, using her lap as a pillow. She was surprised once again by his odd behavior, like how he can sleep immediately and involuntarily, moments after telling a rather exciting story. However, Sayako was rather kind to him recently. She only realized it now, but Azen was conflicted. Physically, he was a young man. A skilled young man. But in his heart, he is still a child. The way he acts around Misaka reveals this fact, and the way he trains and learns and performs combat-related activities proved his skill.

At first, she was hesitant. No one but Misaka saw her maternal side, but she figured that it was fine since everyone was asleep. She carefully ran her fingers through Azen's hair, petting him as he slept. She also positioned her Popo coat to cover Azen as well, making a "tent" over them. The opening was large enough to let the moonlight through and illuminate Azen's face. Sayako would pass her hand through his features - his eyes, his lips, his cheeks - and smile softly. She also felt pity at the same time. Someone like Azen must have been forced to mature quickly to be able to handle tasks that he never got the chance to learn how to do, face questions that his family should have answered for him, or accept challenges that he had no knowledge of the strain it would do to him. Both physically and mentally. However, from Azen's storytelling, Sayako could tell that all he ever wanted was to go home.

* * *

><p>Sayako had always wanted to have a son, but she was picky. She wanted a son who would be around the same age as Azen by the time she was at her age now, but that would mean she would have to have had him when she was but a child. She also had a hard time looking for a partner as she was the princess of her villageclan, and the males were pressured into leaving her alone. Through this ordeal, she found Misaka, who showed her love and affection while disregarding gender and titles. They still share the same love right now.

For now, at that very moment, Sayako felt like a mother. Azen was her son, but that all changes the moment they leave from their spots. Sayako wanted to keep this feeling for a bit longer, so she decided to stay there until Azen awoke.

* * *

><p>"Are you ready, pet?" Misaka said joyfully, her hands covering Azen's eyes.<p>

"I'm ready," Azen said.

"Tada!" Misaka released Azen's eyes and Azen saw a complete Ioprey Set laid out on his bed. "I made this for you~."

"Really? Thank you!" Azen gave Misaka a hug before starting to wear the armor. Misaka helped him out.

Moments later, Azen was fully dressed in the Ioprey Set, and he shifted his weight from leg to leg, trying to get used to the weight of the armor. Misaka punched his chest and grinned, then handed Azen his Bone Katana 'Dragon'. He wore the long sword, then nodded to Misaka. Outside, the Princess was waiting. There seems to be a gathering around as well, like some sort of ceremony was about to happen. Misaka went out first, and whispered to the Princess's ear, then the Princess nodded to her. Misaka returned inside Azen's lodge.

"Alright, I want you on your proper behavior, pet! This is a big day, and the moment we step out there, I want you to be silent until you are told to speak, understood?"

"Understood," Azen replied. Suddenly, a big gust came from Azen's window and somewhat fused with Azen. He quickly got reminded of his native tongue, then he blinked, but it seems that Misaka did not notice the gust.

"May the initiate come forth!" Sayako yelled.

"That's our signal," Misaka said, as she exited with Azen. He was rather surprised to see that all of the villagers were attending this ceremony. Actually, he didn't even know this ceremony was taking place today.

"You have stayed with us for nearly three moons as of this day, _parkan_. Today, I grant you the title of _shakrun_," Sayako said, and lightly touched Azen's head. The villagers were in awe as some gasp and some whispered comments to those beside them. "What have you to say, _shakrun_?"

"_Te'los agrakin_," Azen said. At that, the crowd cheered and praised Azen. A celebration took place for nearly a three hours as they sang, danced and ate to Azen's newfound title.

Azen told Sayako and Misaka about the situation of his people. He told them about the exile, and how Ian has been reported to be the one responsible for this mess. Sayako immediately told them to prepare for a journey, as the next day, they will start the voyage back into the Known Territory.

* * *

><p>"Ah, you still look as beautiful as ever," Ian said as he wrapped his arms around Mikan. Her belly seemed to have grown a tad bigger.<p>

"You think the baby will be fine?" Mikan asked.

"If there's ever anything that I can do for you or our child, I'll do it." Ian stated, carefully caressing Mikan's belly.

Mikan smiled, then looked out the window. Perhaps this baby would bring the good out of Ian.

* * *

><p>Translations:<p>

Parkan - stranger/foreigner

Shakrun - warrior

Te'los agrakin - Thank you


	13. Chapter 13

A long trudge through the Unknown Territory was faced by the Pokke Villagers. Kaoru wasn't used to seeing such tall trees and entwined vines and weeds. So much vegetation. It was all new for the Pokke Villagers who lived all their lives, more or less, up Pokke Mountain or the farms at the base of the mountain. Being forced to adjust to an environment completely alien to them proved to be a hard task, but they managed. They would wander around the deep forest trying to find a spot that's suitable for making a new village. The villagers prefered somewhere near a river, and with a lot of sunlight. The canopy of the trees blocked most of the sunlight, and the dark, gloomy atmosphere was not something the villagers would stand for extended periods of time. They were getting close to their spot, seeing as the treeline started to get slightly thinner as they kept progressing into the Unknown Territory.

A lot of things would go through Kaoru's mind, and many times she lost her balance, but Derek was there to support her. Actually, Derek has been there for a while now. He's supported her through getting enough quests for the hunters of Pokke Village to work on. That kept a good amount of income, but when the Army marched into Pokke Village, Derek took up arms. Kaoru was hesitant to let him go, but he just felt compelled to. There's no way that the Army means no harm when they're bringing in whole regiments to the village. He fought a futile struggle with the rebellion, and in the end, they were exiled. Kaoru held Derek too dearly to let him get into danger. She kept thinking that she was too carefree with Azen, and that's the reason she lost him. However, she would just forget about everything that makes her worry and try to look forward.

"I see a river!" Derek exclaimed, returning from a quick scouting mission. "There's also a nice plot of land that's nearly as big as our village, and there's just enough sunlight to make it bright! Come!" He started running off again in excitement. Kaoru always thought of him as a puppy full of energy.

The villagers reached the area that Derek led them to, and it seemed like the trees acted as the roof to the flat plot of land that would soon become New Pokke. It was a nice spot, with enough resources in the perimeter to last them a few months before starting to hunt out in the forest. The Pokke Villagers have made contact with another tribe who were living a day's hike from their current location, and it was from them that they got iron, which the Pokke villagers transformed into steel. Perhaps, one of the good things that was brought along by the exile, was that they didn't have to worry about money. It's just the resources now. Considering they won't be going back into the Known Territory forever unless the Elder Council revokes the exile, they'll be staying here.

The long road to rebuilding the village began.

* * *

><p>It's been a day since Azen, Sayako, and Misaka ventured out into the Known Territory. The village of Havenrun was their first stop. Havenrun was a mountain village, similar to Pokke Village. There was snow everywhere, and the two ladies were fascinated by it.<p>

"Look at those people... They're dressed up weird," commented a villager.

"No, only the ladies are... the man seems to be a hunter. That's an Ioprey set..." said the town smith.

Azen paid no attention to the people, but Misaka did. She would glare at the people and they would immediately hide in their houses. The three headed straight to the Gathering Hall of the town, and they asked for information about the Pokke Villagers. At first, it was as if Pokke Village had become a taboo word, but they managed to squeeze out that the whole village has been exiled. Azen got disheartened, and they sat outside. Azen's armor gathered snow as it fell, but the Misaka and Sayako were wearing slightly less layered clothes, and when the snow touched them, it melted and turned into water. They stayed outside, comforting Azen from the shocking news for so long that Sayako and Misaka were soaked from the melted snow.

"C'mon pet... Let's go inside..."

"You two can go ahead... I'll stay here for a bit longer."

"No, you're not," Sayako's maternal side kicked in, "If you get sick, who'll take care of you out here? You're coming with us, or no hunting for you for a month," She said sharply.

"But..."

"No buts."

"Okay..." Azen got up and the three returned inside the Gathering Hall.

Azen rented a room for all three of them and the two girls immediately dressed themselves in the usual village's clothes to keep warm. Azen removed his Ioprey armor and sat down on the bed. The two ladies sat down on both sides of Azen and leaned on his shoulders.

"...Eh?" Azen said.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten this part of our culture," Sayako retorted. Azen was told, for a really brief moment, that whenever a lady was cold, they would lean on the nearest man that they trusted and they would expect the man to share his warmth with her through any means possible. For example, sharing a blanket, or maybe offering his Popo coat to her. All the gentleman-like gestures.

"I don't have anything to keep you warm though..."

"Oh... do you know what that means, Sayako?" Misaka asked.

"Why, yes... and I'm rather excited about it..." Sayako replied. They both look up at Azen, and in unison, they said, "We get the bed because it has a blanket."

Azen sighed. He thought it was going to be something else, but he agreed to sleep on the floor with a Popo coat. The next day, they set out further into Strongkey, the military outpost of the Known Territory. There was a big river they had to follow along the way, but it was easy to manage. They took breaks only at night, and they arrived at Strongkey after a week of travelling.

* * *

><p>"Well, this place sure looks interesting," Sayako mentioned. There were weapon vendors almost every street, and the town itself was covered in a gray smoke, all coming from blacksmiths making armor and weapons. Misaka ventured over to a store, but she saw weapons that no ordinary human could wield. It actually looked like a Giadrome claw. As if they were arming monsters.<p>

Upon further inspection in a training barracks, they were mortified to see that their suspicions were correct. The townspeople were arming the monsters with metal claws, and even gave them armor. The three hid in a back alley, as if being chased by something.

"I can't believe it," Misaka said.

"Neither could I," Sayako responded.

"...I can't say I'm not surprised." Azen stated.

"What? You mean you saw this coming?" Misaka and Sayako exclaimed.

"I was arrested for being a Pokke Villager, and my captors made mention of an Ian person controlling the monsters."

"So... you mean you know the person behind all this?"

"Yeah... but if he's arming monsters, then he's up to no good..."

"Very well, we shall spend the night here and gather as much information as we could." Sayako said before standing up.

As the princess said, the trio stayed at a local inn. It was dusk, and everything was painted with an orange hue from the setting sun. Azen stood outside the inn, leaning against the wall, just wasting time. The two girls were out exploring the city, and Azen has nothing to do. Quickly he spotted a woman who's eyes seemed to match the color of the surroundings. Her dress was of pure azure color, and it really made her eyes stand out. He knew of only one person who had eyes like that, so he started walking towards her. However, the woman made a turn and vanished into a corner. Azen ran after her, gently pushing aside those in his way. He went to the corner and ran into a town guard.

"Hey! Watch where you're going! Next time, it's gonna be the night at the cells," the guard said.

"Sorry..." Azen slinked off, now walking along the town streets.

Who was that woman? Was that Mikan? It's getting dark, so where's Misaka and Sayako? What will Azen face at night?


	14. Chapter 14

The moon gave off a nice bright light. Azen's shadow moved like a Nargacuga on the lush tall grass. News of Mikoto and Sayako's location has been spilled to him by a hunter who saw "two foreigners following a monster driver. Monster drivers are people who are recruited to ride on monsters, much like cavalrymen ride on horses. They act as leaders and officers, even as cavalrymen to the new monster regime. Azen grew worried of what could have happened to Sayako and Mikoto, but he kept an optimistic view on things. It wasn't good to think negatively or assume that something bad happened.

Upon arriving at the location that the hunter told him, he saw a camp with what seemed to be a cage with two people in it. A bonfire was in the middle of the camp, and there was a Bulldrome dozing off nearby. A man appeared from the darkness and the fire illuminated his figure. He looked really foreign, but Azen could tell he held a lot of power. He paced to and fro as if he was waiting for something. Just then, another man approached the scene.

"I have secured the prisoners, sir." said the man who just arrived.

"Well done. I'll see to it that they get interrogated swiftly," The higher-up replied. "See to it that the rest of the men are to head to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."

"Yes, Lord Ian." said the grunt and he slinked off.

Azen was surprised. He quickly remembered being arrested because of someone named Ian. Could this be him? Azen's thoughts were confirmed as a lady dressed in an azure dress - the same one that Azen saw a few hours back - arrived at the small camp. According to what he gathered, this seems to be a private camp, and there's another one nearby. Azen paid no attention to the other camp, but he concentrated on the woman. For some reason, he didn't like her being around this Ian person. When his eyes got accustomed to the light, Azen could see that inside the cage are Mikoto and Sayako, who were unconscious. He decided to spy on the two for a bit more.

"Mikan, I see that you're enjoying yourself?"

"Why, yes, my lord. I had a small walk around town this afternoon as a matter of fact."

"Good. We'll be returning to New Starfall tomorrow morning. You should get some rest." Ian wrapped his arms around Mikan. Azen got angry.

"I surely will, my lord. For the baby." Mikan leaned into Ian with a smile. Her orange eyes glimmered with happiness.

"Now, aren't you glad you left that kid who died a few years ago?"

"It IS all because of you that I'm having a baby, my lord."

"Well, off to bed you go, it's a big day tomorrow," Ian said before kissing Mikan and letting her go. Mikan crawls into a tent. "Thank the heavens that Azen is dead..." he whispered under his breath ten minutes later.

That set Azen off, and he stepped forward into the camp with his helmet covering most of his eyes to hide his features. Ian quickly noticed him and placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Who are you?" demanded Ian.

"A dead person," Azen replied.

"You think you're funny, huh? How dare you tresspass on the camp of the King of the Known Territory?"

Azen started stepping toward Ian, "All I know is that you control these monsters, got my people exiled, and you stole my woman."

"Hah! You expect me to believe your lies? I shall have your life right here, right now," Ian drew his sword. It was the traditional army's sword. Flimsy, compared to a hunting sword.

Azen took off his helmet and unsheathed his Bone Katana Dragon G. Ian gasped slightly.

"I see... So you were alive all this time, eh? See, it'd be better if you died a few years ago when we left you dying in New Starfall."

"I don't have time for you or your silly little regime with the monsters being your weapons. I can and I will stop you. For now, I came for my friends."

"Well, will you live long enough to even have a chance at freeing them?" Ian challenged.

The two circled around each other for a moment before clashing their weapons. Azen was relentless, keeping a straight barrage of thrusts and slashes at Ian, who seemed to parry them effortlessly. Azen was confused as to how his weapon had not broken yet, and Ian felt obliged to tell him.

"My weapon was made for fighting, not hunting," he said.

Azen lunged forward with a heavy slash, to which Ian just sidestepped. He retorted with a quick jab of his sword to Azen's shoulder, which connected and disabled Azen's left arm. Azen jumped and spun over the fire and ran to Ian, spinning to use centripetal force to attack with his Bone Katana Dragon G. Ian ducked, and Azen slashed the cage where Mikoto and Sayako were imprisoned in. The cage was all but broken, for Azen's Long Sword took out all the foundations in one fell swoop. Ian started his own barrage of slashes, and Azen found himself in a tight spot as he couldn't move and parry his blows as effectively as he could if his shoulder hadn't been stabbed. However, he clashed the his Bone Katana against Ian's broadsword, and they smashed together steel on steel, making the blade nicked. They were locked in that situation as they tried pushing their blades forward and try to cut the other man. An intense glare was settled between the two, then they pushed each other back. Ian went on the offensive and aimed a slash at Azen's leg, which he properly avoids by going airborne, and replied with a whistling slash towards Ian's shoulder. Ian dropped on his belly, and Azen's attack landed right by his head. Ian sweeped at Azen's legs with his sword, which Azen stops by stabbing his Bone Katana on the ground, blocking the attack. The two squared off again and Azen delivered his famous two-hit combo on Ian. Ian blocked the first, but he didn't anticipate the second slash which managed to inflict a cut at Ian's cheekbone. They got into another lock when Azen, with both hands, brought down his blade and Ian doing the same. A loud clanging noise echoed as their blades met.

The fighting continued for ten more minutes until finally Ian's men arrived on their monsters, weapons drawn. Azen was forced to withdraw without Sayako and Misaka, and he ran until he reached the Unknown Territory. His fight with Ian made something clear to Azen. He needs an army to stop Ian's plans. 


	15. Chapter 15

It took four grueling months for a group of hunters to assemble at the Unknown Territory. In the beginning, the first recruits were hesitant, but upon arriving at Sayako's village, they started being guides to the new recruits. Soon, Sayako's village became the hunter outpost of the Unknown Territory. The sheer size and activity of Sayako's village would attract cartographers and lost adventurers, even neighboring villages. All of whom agreed to lend a hand to the group that called themselves the "Rebellion." The Rebellion was led by a man called Azen, who had acted out against the current King of the Known Territory and his evil regime. There also has been news that the King's Army have started integrating monsters and using them to terrorize small towns and cities into being practically slaves. Only if it's people were completely obedient was the Kingdom friendly to it's citizens. Otherwise, they terrorize.

Derek was strolling around New Pokke when he saw a band of 30 hunters walking towards a common location, and he decided to tag along. He later learned of Sayako's village, and he reported back to New Pokke as soon as he could. Immediately and naturally, the Pokke Hunters went to Sayako's village and explained their whole ordeal against Ian, and that's how the trade route between New Pokke and Sayako's village (the name of the village has been long forgotten, and it was named as current ruler's village). Kaoru went to Sayako's village to visit and get to know the people. There were translators who joined the Rebellion, and they served as the teachers of Sayako's village's language to those who wished to learn.

Kaoru was talking with a villager when suddenly she spotted a man in Ioprey Armor, and she approached him. Her heart pounded in her chest, as she had heard that the leader was named Azen, and that he wears a crimson armor.

"Azen?" Kaoru asked.

"Yeah, who is it?" Azen replied, not looking at Kaoru as he was busy sharpening his Bone Katana. He modified it to be length of a normal katana, but he used the extra steel and materials from the part that he took off to reinforce the blade and improve it's durability.

"I'm sorry... My name's Kaoru. I just... had a brother that died a few years ago and his name was Azen too. I thought he could be you."

Azen stopped sharpening his Bone Katana. He felt really stupid for not noticing her voice. He stood up and turned, then removed his helmet. Kaoru burst into tears and wrapped her arms around the man in armor. The reunion of brother and sister was complete.

* * *

><p>In the time where two winters have passed, the Rebellion's member count grew to 2300; most of them were hunters, while the others were blacksmiths, translators, rebel soldiers, farmers, and victimized citizens. Their numbers were enough to challenge two whole regiments of the King's Army, considering that the hunting weapons used by the fighters could deal tremendous amounts of damage to multiple targets in one swing. The hunters from New Pokke created their own kind of armor, to signify them and make them stand out than the other rebellion members. The uniform armor of the Rebellion were whole sets of Ioprey Armor, considering there were plenty of Ioprey roaming around the Great Forest. Those who have better armor used them, and painted the insignia of the Rebellion on one of the shoulder plates, usually the right. Ranged weapons varied from Power Bows to Heavy Bowguns. There were many who used Great Swords, Lances, Gunlances Dual Blades, and Hammers. There was a small band of hunters who used Hunting Horns, and they served as the morale booster and buffer of the Rebellion's forces.<p>

The training regime of the Rebellion was intense yet friendly at the same time. It would start off straight to combat training, where new recruits are to fend off for themselves in a controlled environment filled with various moving wooden dummies that they needed to eliminate. Sometimes, there were group skirmishes, where one group was pit against another group in an arena-type combat, and they would fight with wooden weapons. Sayako's people would often help train the recruits of the Rebellion in mastering forms of their specified weapon type.

On one fateful day, the Rebellion marched out of the Unknown Territory and began their campaign against the Kingdom of the Known Territory. Most of the women and children stayed either at New Pokke or Sayako's village. From village to village, town to town, city to city, the Rebellion took control of the border settlements. Ian was outraged by the sudden attack on his territory, but he was not surprised. He anticipated that they would take action, but he never thought they'd assemble an army in the span of two years. He sent a regiment to quell the Rebellion, but that proved to be a mistake. On the Battle of Ravenguard, the King's Regiment was defeated by the brunt of the force of the Rebellion and the latter faction peacefully occupied the town.

Azen returned to the hotel where he met the little girl, and there he found that she's grown a bit, and he learned that her name was Sarah. Sarah was 15 or 16 now, and she looked like a fine young lady. She joined the Rebellion when Azen mentioned he was leading a group against the current King, despite her parents being against it. Azen had her suited up with the standard Rebellion weapons and armor, and they continued their journey towards New Starfall.

* * *

><p>In the Battle of Hammercall, a town on the doorstep to New Starfall, the Rebellion managed to pull a surprise attack on the King's Army. However, since Ian was present in that battle, his men did not waver and they kept a strong front. Azen led a few troops to flank the King's Army, but the monster drivers proved to be fast and agile, even quick to notice the flanking maneuver, and stopped Azen and his men in his tracks. The Battle of Hammercall was a long, brutal battle, and the Rebellion was forced to retreat.<p>

A few months later, the King's Army marched on a frontier city called Lightclap, and the Rebellion defended it's territory against them. The Rebellion took advantage of using Cluster shots with their bowguns to whittle down the enemy as effectively as possible. When the Army managed to break through the walls, Gunlancers welcomed them with a volley of Dragon's Breath. The Army was devastated and none were spared, making the Rebellion victorious.

* * *

><p>"I tell you now, citizens! Azen and his men are cruel and cold-hearted! They force our farmers, our young adults, our hunters, and even our very own citizens to fight against their King! No person should be forced to make a decision like that! Stand and fight, my people! Join the King's Army and help your King defeat this menace!" Ian declared to a town in his control.<p>

Meanwhile, in Ravenguard...

"I tell you now, brothers and sisters! Ian and his men are cruel and cold-hearted! They force their farmers, their young adults, their hunters, and even MONSTERS to terrorize his own people for his own personal gain! Rebel now, people! Join the Rebellion and help me quell this evil King's rule!" Azen declared in a town meeting.

As the two factions grew strong, they started feeling confident. The Rebellion marched to New Starfall, while the Army stayed and garrisoned at New Starfall. The Battle of New Starfall was about to commence.


	16. Chapter 16

"March!" A voice came booming.

It seemed like it came from a man of high rank, and it was indeed a man of high rank. The highest in the Known Territory. King. Ian was marching his troops around New Starfall. His men arrived early due to the help of the monsters under Ian's control. He attempted to do a pincer attack on incoming Rebellion forces. Since there was only one entrance to New Starfall, -through the main gate- he would position his men to the sides of New Starfall and attack the Rebellion from two sides, with a final blow from the center and push them out completely. With the force of his army, standing tall with numbers in the five thousands, Ian was confident he would win. His spearmen riding Velociprey with armored heads and chests, as well as sharpened claws were going to attack in the center. His hordes of highly armored infantry with the help of a Rajang on one side and a captured Nargacuga on the other will drive the Rebellion forces out of New Starfall, and would make them think twice before making another bold yet foolish move against the Kingdom. Of course, if Ian's plan fails, the monster-infested town will engulf all of them in one command from Ian himself. He stretched, then called for his assistants. It was time to gear up.

* * *

><p>Azen was sitting with the leaders of the units he assembled for the attack on New Starfall. Due to the town's shape, there was a likely attack from one of the sides, or maybe even both. As a safety measure, before the commencing of the attack, the melee fighters will set up a tall wall of stakes to provide as a line of spears against any mounted attack on the ranged fighters that will rain down bullets and arrows from a safe distance and thin down whatever forces they see that are not in the path they are going to take. While the enemies are busy with trying to figure out how to survive the volley of bullets and arrows, the main force will attack the center, and try to defeat them quickly. The ranged volleys should prevent any backup from the sides to arrive to the central force, and that would guarantee their control of the main gate. After that, getting inside and overthrowing Ian was nothing but a piece of cake. However, Azen was forgetting something. He forgot that New Starfall is a nest full of different monsters of different sizes.<p>

* * *

><p>Day 1<p>

* * *

><p>Dawn.<p>

Morning dew was present on the vegetation, yet it was nice and warm even with a thick fog settling in. The sun has barely crested over the mountains in the distance, and that meant that there was going to be a really intense heat come noon. The march of the Rebellion to New Starfall went unnoticed so far. The infantrymen of the Kingdom were just beginning to eat their breakfast, and the Rebellion has long since eaten theirs. The stakes were set up according to plan, and the bowmen and the bowgunmen positioned themselves behind the stakes, ready to attack. The bowstrings of the bowmen were modified to fire farther, and the bowmen were given training on the increased range that they could highly exploit. The bowgunmen were given extra padding on their bowguns to support the stronger recoil of the specially crafted bullets for increased range. The fog lifted, and the alarms were sent out throught New Starfall as the overwatch saw the Rebellion forces.

* * *

><p>Morning.<p>

The volleys of arrows and bullets began. The hot air that rose from the ground aided in giving the projectiles a bit more of a boost to increase their range further, but it also derailed them a little bit. It mattered little, considering how clustered together the monster cavalry were at the sides of the town. Once the first five volleys were launched, Azen wore his helmet, and he unsheathed his Bone Katana. He charged at the head of the main force. With yells resounding like thunder, the central force of the army cowered even with their shields. Azen and his men charged head on against the shielded men who also charged forward. Azen cleaved through the shields of those in front of him with his Bone Katana and kept bumping himself into the wall of armored men. The yells of the men he led inspired themselves. The battle in the center was bloody and brutal. Many died for the Rebellion, but more died for the Kingdom.

* * *

><p>Noon.<p>

The side units managed to pull off their pincer attack to the central forces, but the vanguard against the pincer attack were ready for the attack, and they were met with lances and hammers. The hunting horns inspired the Rebellion and instilled fear in the hearts of the Kingdom's men, but they let loose the Rajang and Nargacuga onto the Rebellion forces. The Rajang on it's own took out a good portion of the Rebellion forces, and was taken down later by Azen himself. The Nargacuga sent men flying in different directions with the swing of it's claws and tail, and it was taken down by a sleeping round rather than being slain by a hunter. It was dragged off the battlefield by the Rebellion and later captured. The Rebellion's forces still haven't made it through the main gate, but it doesn't help that they were outnumbered and the body piles of the slain proved to be an obstacle in moving forward.

* * *

><p>Afternoon<p>

It was obvious that the King's men couldn't hold off the Rebellion now that their trump cards were defeated and captured. The Rebellion breached the main gate and were confronted by the frenzied monsters, ordered by Ian to kill anything that came through the main gate. Caught unaware of the dangers within the walls, the Rebellion lost plenty of it's members. However, Azen rallied them in a coordinated attack that was mostly divide and conquer. The effects of the battle, such as fatigue, hunger, and the sorts took it's toll on the Rebellion's forces. Meanwhile, outside the walls, those who were not participating in the current battle took the bodies of their dead comrades back to camp, where they were immediately sent back to their families.

* * *

><p>Dusk.<p>

The fighting against the various sorts of monsters took a massive chunk out of the Rebellion's fighting force. Azen called a retreat once the town was more or less cleared of monsters. Out of the 2000 rebels that fought that day, only 740 managed to walk away. The Rebellion returned to their camp outside the town walls, and they treated to the injured and filled their stomachs. Most of the people who did not fight were men and women who volunteered to manage the camp rather than fight, and they did their part in tending to the injured, rationing out meals, and preparing space for the fighting force to sleep in. The King's Army was devastated in the first day. Not only did the small amount of Rebellion forces wipe out their first line of defense, they also managed to clear the town of the monsters stationed there. Their contingent of 5000 dwindled to 400, as most of the men were either slain or deserted the army, fearing for their lives. Ian grew angry at this failure of his army, but he decided to remain with his 400 men. After all, the monsters were under complete control of Ian and they would travel over the night.

Kaoru tended to Azen's wounds, while Mikan tended to Ian's wounds. Compared to Ian, Azen had gotten worse injuries for he had been the first to fight and the last to leave, but that did not stop the Rebellion leader. He would resume the attack tomorrow.

Overall, neither side celebrated that day. For none had clearly won, and there was no telling what happened when the armies returned to their camp.


	17. Chapter 17

It was afternoon. Ian was planning on leaving New Starfall before the Rebellion decided to make their second strike. He made preparations with hand-picked guards to guide his carriage back to his castle. But he forgot one thing. It was AFTERNOON. The Rebellion had plenty of time to ambush his little carriage.

As the carriage and the guards made it's way towards the center of New Starfall, Azen made his move forward. There were guards posted at every corner of the streets, for they have abandoned the walls. A crowd of the remaining people, most of them were the camp followers who tended to Ian's army and such watched as the carriage passed by. Azen parted seas of people. A guard told him to stop as he saw him, but he got hit by an arrow from nowhere, while the guard's partner attempts to slash Azen, however he gets shot with another arrow. Azen stabbed two more guards in front of the crowd, facing the carriage, with his Bone Katana. Finally, he approached the carriage and ten guards approached him with spears pointed at him.

Ian came out of the carriage while laughing, "How brave of you to come after me personally, Azen. But I'm afraid this is the end for you."

Azen nodded his head, and suddenly a flurry of arrows came out of the sky and hit each one of the guards. After that, Ian sent his monster cavalrymen - 2 of them - at Azen. Azen kills the monster and the rider broke his neck. Azen then jumped up and slashed the other rider's throat, and the rider falls down from his mount. Ian smirks and calls out his elite guards. They were abominations. Half-monster, half-human. They were the result of Ian's secret research program of fusing monster genes with humans. They all had their halberds ready, and they formed two rows of six, meaning twelve in total.

Without being phased, Azen just stared at the elite guard and he was joined by four other Rebels. All with their weapons drawn. Mikan, being inside the carriage, peeked outside to see what the commotion was all about, but she couldn't see past the elite guards' heads. Sayako and Misaka were in a cage behind the carriage and had a perfect view of the battle that was about to begin. Azen's side and Ian's side charged into each other, and a battle ensued. It wasn't long till the elite guards overpowered the rebels and Azen was left all alone, facing twelve guards plus Ian.

Azen backed up a bit, then ran up to the nearest guard. He stepped on it's knee to get leverage and stomped on his face, making him fall and smash his head. A second guard charges in at Azen but he gets stabbed by Azen's Bone Katana. Azen rolls over the stabbed guard and a lands on his knee. Another brave guard charged in with the pointy tip of his halberd at Azen, but Azen redirected the halberd to the side with his Bone Katana, and he punched the guard straight in the face and took his weapon. Azen spun around from the dazed guard's body and cleaved through another guard behind him with the axe part of the halberd. He then used his Bone Katana to deflect an incoming attack from a different guard and he grabbed his wrist and spun it behind his back, breaking the wrist, then stabbed the guard through the spine. Azen kicked a charging guard in the stomach and slit his throat with his Bone Katana then stabbed another, then spun to the side of another guard to confuse him and then take out his legs with a slash. A guard swings his halberd thinking he could cut Azen at the body, but Azen gets down just in time to avoid it, however an adjacent guard manages to grab him. Azen hit the guard with the back of his head and turned to the side just as a halberd attack came from his buddy, and the guard took down his own man. Azen took the opportunity to slash the "betraying guard" and take him down. The remaining guards were too scared to approach the killing machine in front of them, so they failed to protect the way to Ian. Azen rushed forward, but in a blinding flash, Mikan was there in front of him.

Azen stopped and stared at Mikan. It was no mistake. She was protecting Ian, and she did so with dedication. Azen could see it in her eyes that she would not back down. However, the guards capitalized on the opportunity and attacked Azen. Being off guard, Azen dodged a tad bit late and got his right bicep pierced by a halberd's spear part. He held his bicep and looked at the remaining guards and Mikan protecting Ian.

"Very brave and skillful of you, Azen. However, as you can see, Mikan is on my side," Ian stated. "She's under my complete control, to be exact!"

Azen glared at Ian. Ian was desperate. He needed this man to suffer before ending his life.

"Return to the carriage," Ian ordered Mikan, and she followed. Once inside, the guards pointed their halberds at Azen.

"She deserves something better than you, and that is me. I'm the very embodiment of everything you couldn't be," Ian turned to the guards, "Disable him."

The guards impale Azen's body, purposely missing the vital points, and he dropped his Bone Katana. In his mind, thoughts of failing his whole campaign ran through his mind. He started the rebellion to stop Ian from having total control of the Territories, and to take back whatever he has taken away. The Pokke villager's rightful home, the Known Territory's royal throne, Mikan's heart, all of them. They were things Ian took with force. But now, he was unable to defeat Ian. He may have won the Battle of New Starfall, but he lost the war. He remembered the time when Mikan held him in her arms in this very spot. Now, she called for his demise. As Azen's body fell to the ground, the guards held him by the arms and dragged him across the ground.

"Good work. We'll execute him right now, in front of this crowd," Ian ordered.

A few hours later, an executor was ready at the scene, and Azen was at the block, his head ready to be taken. As the executioner lifted his axe above his head, Azen said two words that would wreck hell for Ian and his men.

Azen said, in his native tongue, "Release me."

All of a sudden, the monsters started reacting weirdly. This stopped the executioner, and inevitably, caused his own death as a Rathalos grabbed the executioner and dropped him to his death. The Rathalos returns to Azen and bowed his head to him. Azen slowly stood up, then spoke again in his native language, "Release them," he pointed to the cage where Misaka and Sayako were being held, and the Rathalos swung it's tail at the cage, breaking it. Sayako and Misaka stood up and wandered around a bit before standing in place, dumbfounded that Azen had such power.

"How can this be? Is my device not working?" Ian exclaimed.

Azen turned to the Rathalos and all the other monsters who were previously in Ian's command, "Listen to me! Apprehend those who are against me, and send them home! Call the villagers of Pokke and tell them they can go home!"

The monsters took off, obeying Azen as he spoke. Ian, in distinct fear, fled the scene, forgetting about Mikan and his men. A Rathian approached Azen and started speaking to him, as the Rathian was one of the sentient monsters, "You've done well to release us from his grasp, human. But only those who are willing to return the balance of the world as we knew it can control the hearts of the monsters. You've displayed that talent, and for that, the monsters will obey every word you say, but only if it is your language that invokes the orders."

"So... you mean everyone in Pokke Village can control the monsters?" Azen asked the Rathian.

"In essence, yes... but they do not share your views. You want balance. For there to be balance, one must take the side of the wild, while another shall side with civilization. Humans and monsters, I think you can figure that out."

Azen ordered the monsters to return to their natural habitats after that day. He had also sent the Rebellion back home, and disbanded the group. Misaka and Sayako returned to the Unknown Territory, however cartographers have accurately mapped the way to their village. Upon approval of the rightful King of the Known Territory, Sayako's village was annexed into the Known Territory. The hunting continued like nothing had happened. The cities were no longer in danger of constant monster attacks, and Pokke Village not only has a legendary hunter, they have a legendary hero as well. Sarah returned to Ravenguard and renovated her family's inn to make it be able to accomodate a bigger amount of customers. Ian escaped to the far reaches of the Known Territory.

As for Mikan and her child, Azen took care of both of them. He raised the child as if it was his own, and the child was then discovered to be a boy. Proud that she gave birth to her son, Mikan returned to being bossy, and she bossed Azen around at their new home in New Pokke. Kaoru decided to stay at New Pokke to help out aspiring hunters there, and Derek became the new Guild Representative in the old Pokke Village. All in all, things were back to the way they were before Ian's rule.

* * *

><p>"Hey you! What do you think you're doing to my son?" Mikan yelled at Azen, who was playing around with Makan, Ian's son with Mikan.<p>

"Nothing! Just playing around, you know!" Azen yelled back.

"Why don't you manage your own son for a change, eh?" Mikan approached Azen and whacked his head with a broom.

"Oww... Okay, okay... I'll take care of Qtronix..." Azen said as he patted Makan's head before heading inside their home.

Qtronix was Mikan's second child. It was her first with Azen. The two were married a few months after the war, and MIkan returned to her normal self after that.

"Good boy, Qtronix. Show daddy how to run, come on." Azen coached Qtronix as the child attempted to run. Qtronix ran all the way outside and clung onto Mikan's leg.

"Oh! Hello there, buddy!" Mikan said sweetly as she crouched and held Makan and Qtronix in her arms.

"Ma...ma..." Qtronix uttered, which made Mikan smile. Azen came out soon after and watched the three.

Due to his actions during the Human-Monster War, Azen was proclaimed a hero and the Elder Council offered him to be raised from commoner to noble, but he refused. Azen also became the most wanted man in the towns and cities that supported Ian's regime. But for now, Pokke's New Hero can rest and spend time with his family; something so precious that he instigated a whole rebellion and fought a war about it.


End file.
